The Magic Returns
by theshadowcat
Summary: Margaret Cavendish is back! The second story in the 'Magic' series. Please R&R. Complete!
1. The Moment After

I was planning on waiting to start this after the New Year, but Maggie just wouldn't let me. So here it is, kids, the sequel to "Magic." By the way, if you haven't read "Magic" yet, please go do so now. 

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Hellboy and company. Don't sue me. Ok?

Our lips part and my brain slowly starts working again. I'm not sure when it happened, but at some point I must have wrapped my arms around him, since that's where they are now. His fingers are tangled in my hair. I'll probably need an entire bottle of conditioner to get all of the knots out, and I don't care. I look into his eyes and realize that they aren't black, but a very deep blue. I could get lost in those eyes. I could stay lost forever. He pulls me closer to him, and I lay my head on his chest. I close my eyes and listen to his heart beat. I feel an ache, a need, which I've never felt before for any one. My brain is so far gone; I'm not even sure what day it is anymore.

"It's Sunday," he whispers. I smile.

I can hear a car engine off in the distance. Abe pulls away. He takes a step toward the gate, and cocks his head to the side. I turn toward the gate as well. Now that I'm no longer looking at him, my brain starts to shift into gear. Then the enormity of what I've just done hits me.

"Liz," he says.

I quickly turn and run toward the truck. I manage to get in and lock the door about a second before he gets there. He bangs on the window.

"_What's wrong?" _I hear his voice in my head.

I shake my head as I start the engine. My emotions are one big jumble. I can't think straight, but one question keeps coming to the front of all the questions that are swimming around in my head.

How could he?

I put the truck into gear and slowly start to roll forward. I'm at least coherent enough to remember that I'm pulling the trailer still. Abe walks beside the truck, just looking at me. I can see him out of the corner of my eye. I tighten my grip on the steering wheel, and concentrate on what I'm doing. As I get to the gate, a red sports car arrives. Both gates open at the same time and I pull out. When I get to the road, I look in the rear view mirror. A beautiful woman with dark hair and alabaster skin is standing beside Abe. The sports car has its driver side door open.

I pull onto the main road and drive home. I spend the next 35 minutes with a death grip on the steering wheel, desperately holding my emotions in check. I finally arrive at the main gate to the ranch. The lock undoes itself and falls open. A sudden wind pushes the gate open. I park the truck and I feel the first hot tear roll down my face. I refuse to let go yet.

I get out and quickly head for the trailer. I get Magick out without any trouble and get him into his stall. I manage to make sure he has food and water before I bolt for the door. I run all the way up the hill to the house.

I'm out of breath by the time I get to the front door and I can feel my hands shaking. I don't even bother with a key. The door unlocks on its own. I stop by the kitchen long enough to see that Helen was nice enough to come up and feed Wizard. I charge upstairs and into my room. Wizard is sleeping on the pillow next to mine. I don't even bother getting changed, but I do at least manage to kick my shoes off before I climb into my unmade bed.

I look at the clock before I lay down. 4:02 am. The earthquake happened less than 23 hours ago. I knew him maybe 7 hours before he…

The feelings that I've been keeping back burst past the dam I built, and I can feel myself loosing control. I hug my pillow and curl up into a ball. Then I cry myself to sleep.

_**Begin dream**_

I'm lying on my stomach on the family room floor in the home I share with my parents. My math home work is splayed out on the floor in front of me. There's a fire burning in the fireplace, and I can hear the rain hitting the window. My parents are snuggled together under a blanket on the couch, each reading a book, and I'm watching them. Mom has her head resting on Daddy's broad shoulder, her slender frame all but disappearing under the blanket. Her auburn hair gently falls over her shoulder.

"Daddy?" I say.

"Yes, sweetie," he answers.

"How did you and Mom meet?" I ask him. He looks up from his book and gazes at me with hazel eyes. Then he and Mom look at each other and smile.

"We meet in college," he says. "We were taking a human biology course."

"How did you know that you loved each other?"

"When I first saw your mother, I thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world," he answers. He and Mom look into each others eyes again. "When I looked into her eyes, I knew that there could be no other."

"Oh," I say. I look down at my homework.

"It'll be the same way with you," he continues. I look back up at him. "You'll see some man, and realize he's the handsomest man in the world. Then you'll look into his eyes and get lost there. And you'll be content to stay lost. That's the way it is with our kind. But be warned, little Magpie, that whomever you give your first kiss to must be the one you've given your heart to. The magic of your first kiss is a very powerful thing, and should not be trifled with. The man you kiss must be the one you marry."

**_End dream_**

I wake with a start and realize that Wizard is walking over me. He's probably on his way to the food bowl. I sit up and look at the time. 9:30 am. I'm still tired and my head is now throbbing. I get up and go into the adjoining bathroom. I look in the mirror and just about have a heart attack. If the phrase "death warmed over" had a face, mine would be it. My eyes are bloodshot, there are bags under my eyes that I could pack and my hair looks like a family of rats has taken up residence. The scratches from yesterday are still noticeable. I'm going to have to figure out something to tell Helen, or she'll freak.

I go over to the shower and turn on the hot water. I strip and look at myself in the full length mirror. I see my parents in me, my mom's hair and my dad's eyes. I got her height, but mostly his build. I'm lean and in good shape even if my body isn't today's advertised version of beauty. Calista Flockhart can just bite me, I think uncharitably.

I notice the shower is ready and I get in. I get clean and then I just stand there until the water runs cold. I get out and dry off. Then I take some pain pills for the headache that didn't go away in the shower, put in eye drops and put on some eye cream to reduce the puffiness. I get dressed and head for the kitchen.

I go to the coffee maker and realize that I didn't have time to clean it yesterday. I contemplate skipping coffee, but if I do, I'll probably fall flat on my face half way down the hill. I get the coffee maker cleaned and put together. While I wait for the coffee maker to get its act in gear, I check the answering machine.

There are four messages on the machine. That's odd. I get maybe that many in week, not a day. The first message is from my cousin Sharon.

"Hi, Maggie, it's Sharon. It's going to be great to see you again. I can't wait for you to see the baby. She's so cute. See you soon. Bye."

What's she talking about? I'm not going out to see her. I certainly hope she's not planning driving all the way out here from Manhattan with the baby. As for the baby herself, what's the old proverb? There's only one cute baby in the world. And every mother has it. It's Irish I think.

The next two messages are hang ups, but the third one is the one that stops my heart. I quickly stop the machine and go back to the coffee maker. I come back to the machine with mug firmly in hand. This is my second cup. One should never have to listen to my grandmother without a good amount of caffeine in her system. Actually, it would probably be better for my nerves if I was drinking something stronger than coffee, but it's a bit early in the day for that.

"Hello, Margaret. It's your grandmother, please pick up the phone." Pause. "Very well, child, if you don't feel like answering, then so be it. I will see you tomorrow, so be ready to go when we get there."

What are they talking about? I look at my calendar and my heart stops yet again. There it is in big red letters. NEW YORK. Uh oh. I am going to Manhattan. I totally forgot about the trip. I look at the calendar again and just about stop breathing as well. 1:00 is when my grandmother is scheduled to arrive, and my grandmother is _never _late.


	2. The Trip, part 1

I check the clock on the desk. 10:17 am. Great. I've got less then three hours to get everything in order before my grandmother arrives. I get down to the ranch and deal with Magick in record time. I get him cleaned up, and then turned out into the paddock behind his barn. I open the gate that connects the two so he can free access to both. I check in with Helen to make sure she has all the contact info in case she needs me, and then I head back up to the house.

I manage to pack, shower and finish dressing when the buzzer for the main gate goes off at exactly 1:00. I press the button to open the gate, and then do one last check in the mirror. Then it's on with the pumps. I hate wearing dress shoes now, but my grandmother would die of embarrassment if she was seen in public with me wearing tennis shoes. At least that's what she used to tell me when I lived with her. I doubt anything has happened in the past 14 years to change her mind. I hear the limo pull up to the front steps. I step out the front door as the chauffer gets out and quickly comes around and opens the door for Grandmother.

She gets out of the car just as I reach the bottom of the stairs. She's a couple of inches shorter than me and as lean as ever. She's wearing the latest fashion from Paris and her hair is now a pure white. Whether nature or her hair dresser did that, I don't know, and I'm not about to ask. We exchange the typical pleasantries and I invite her into the house while the chauffer puts my bags into what I already know is a nearly full trunk. Grandmother sees the pile of luggage I have waiting.

"Is that all you're bringing?" she asks in her soft Southern drawl.

"Yes, Grandmother," I answer, preparing for the same conversation we've had every time I've gone anywhere with her.

"Well, if you're sure you'll have enough to wear," she sniffs.

"Oh, I know it's not," I tell her. "I plan to go shopping once we get to Manhattan."

"If you think we'll have time for that, then so be it," she says. The Earth will spin in the opposite direction and reverse its orbit the day my grandmother doesn't find time to go shopping, especially while she's on a trip to New York. I always pack less than I'll need, just so we have an excuse to go shopping. It makes her happy, and I get to keep a little bit of what's left of my sanity. She and the chauffer, Kirk I think, both have a chance to freshen up before we head out for The Big Apple.

Once we're in the limo, Grandmother gladly fills the silence with the latest gossip. She tells me everything from the goings on in the family to old friends. She doesn't have very many old friends left due to nature taking its toll on them, but I know that she travels in enough circles to keep her busy in the gossip department. I listen with half an ear as I watch the scenery go by. Now that I'm sitting still and doing nothing, my mind wanders back to earlier this morning.

I've been out on my own since I was sixteen. The closest I've ever had to having a roommate is the occasional pet, but I've never felt lonely before now. I thought I was happy until he swam into my life. Until that moment, I never realized how empty my life has been. I remember the feel his lips on mine, the smell of his skin, the absolute beauty of him. The ache I was feeling last night is back. I close my eyes and sigh. Thankfully, Grandmother is so busy talking that she doesn't realize I'm not really paying attention.

A short time later, we arrive in Manhattan and pull up to the front door of the Waldorf Astoria. We quickly check in and are shown our adjoining suits. I change for dinner, and then knock on the connecting door between our rooms. Grandmother opens the door a minute later. She's also changed, so we head for the hotels restaurant. Once our orders are taken, Grandmother shows me the schedule for our week.

Tomorrow we go and see my cousin and her new baby. Then the rest of the week will be spent going to shows, museums, art exhibits and the like. While to the casual observer, our week may look like it's packed, I know better. I can see several spots through out the week when we'll be shopping, even if it isn't on the schedule. However, I notice the plans for Saturday, and I'm actually surprised. A day at a spa and then a black tie affair in the evening is what she has down.

"Grandmother, what's this on Saturday?" I ask.

"Oh, it's just a little shin dig that we've been invited to," she answers. "The grandson of a friend of mine is an astronaut, and they're having a party to celebrate his first mission."

"I wish you had told me, I didn't bring my evening gown with me," I tell her.

"Well, since we're going to have to go shopping because you didn't bring enough clothes anyways, we can go shopping for that, too," she replies.

"This grandson isn't perchance single and about my age is he?" I ask her.

"You know, I don't remember," she says.

If she doesn't remember this guy's age and marital status, then I'm a monkey's uncle. One of my grandmother's main goals in life is to see me married and with a family before she dies. If she only knew about this morning, she'd die right where she sat. Thankfully, dinner arrives before I can say anything else. We eat our dinner, making small talk. After dinner we head up to our rooms. I watch some TV to get my mind off of a certain blue man who keeps swimming to the front of my thoughts. Eventually, I get changed and crawl into bed where I promptly fall asleep.


	3. The Trip, part 2

**Author's note: **This chapter is long and there isn't a lot of Abe or Hellboy goodness in it, but I promise that they will be back next chapter. So please bear with me.

Abe's hand caresses my bare thigh. With no clothing impeding its travel, it slowly travels up over my hip, my waist, my rib cage until he reaches my breast. I moan with the pleasure of his touch. My breathing is ragged with emotion. All the while he's kissing me. First it's my lips, then my chin, my neck, my collar bone, my breast bone…

RIIIIINNNNNGGGGGG

I sit straight up in bed, panting. It takes me a moment to remember where I am.

RIIIIINNNNNGGGGGG

As I reach over for the phone, I think of several nasty things I'd like to say to Alexander Graham Bell if he was here. Then I pick up the receiver.

"Hello?"

"Miss Cavendish?" asks a man on the other end. The voice sounds familiar, but I can't quite place it yet.

"This is Miss Cavendish. Who is this, please?" I answer as I try to suppress a yawn.

"Miss Cavendish, this is Dr. Manning." Peachy. Just what I needed first thing in the morning, a call from the king of the bureaucrats.

"Dr. Manning I asked you to send me the bill, not to call me about it. For that matter, how did you know where to find me?" I ask.

"I checked your recent credit card charge, that's how I knew where to find you." I hate the government. "Miss Cavendish, I'm not calling about the cleaning bill, I'm calling about Abe."

Now I'm fully awake. "What about Abe?" Just mentioning his name causes a sudden burning need. I think I'm losing my mind.

"He's sitting at the bottom of his tank, he won't talk to anyone and he's not eating," says Manning in a rather accusing tone. "According to Miss Sherman you were leaving when she returned to the bureau and Abe was there. I want to know what you did to him."

"I didn't do anything to him," I tell him. How dare he accuse me like that! Suddenly, I hear voices arguing on the other end of the line.

"Hey, Cavendish," snarls Hellboy. "What the hell did you do to my buddy?"

"I repeat, I didn't do anything to him," I say, trying to keep my voice calm. "Why don't you ask him what he did to me!?"

I slam down the phone and then unplug it. A minute later I hear the phones in the living room and bathroom start ringing. I lie down and cover my head with a pillow. After about 15 minutes the phones stop ringing. Then I can hear my cell phone ringing in my purse. I ignore it, and after several tries, they give up on that one too.

After my anger runs out, I just lay there consumed with guilt. I was such an emotional mess yesterday morning; I never stopped to think what my actions would do to Abe. I curl up in a ball and cry. I feel like I want to die.

The next thing I know, I'm being shaken awake by my grandmother.

"Get up, child," she's saying. "We're supposed to be having brunch at Sharon's in one hour. Now get yourself up and get ready."

I sit up and swing my legs over the side, rubbing my eyes with my hand. My head is throbbing again. I've got to stop crying myself to sleep.

"Good heavens, child, what is that you are wearing?" she asks.

I look down and realize I packed my regular pjs instead of the really expensive ones. The expensive ones are long and flowing and may look nice, but the lace itches and they always get twisted around my legs when I'm sleeping. Instead I'm wearing baggy shorts and a t-shirt, something nice and comfortable. It's also a major fashion no-no in my grandmothers' book.

"We're going to have to get you something more appropriate to wear," she says. "We'll see what we can do later, but right now, you need to get a move on."

I drag myself out of bed and head for the bathroom. I quickly shower and get dressed into something that should meet my grandmothers' approval. I grab my purse, go through the open adjoining doors, and find my grandmother on the phone. She looks up and sees me.

"Ah, good, she's ready," she says into the phone. "We'll be there soon."

She hangs up the phone and just stares at me.

"We're going to have to do something about your wardrobe," she says. "Come along, Kirk is waiting for us."

She gets up and heads out the door with me in her wake. We get to the elevator and wait.

"So what's wrong with what I'm wearing?" I ask her. The elevator doors open.

"It's out of fashion," she answers as she walks into the elevator. I follow.

"It's a classic style," I say.

"Not any more it's not," she says.

Pause.

"It could go retro."

"Bite your tongue, child."

A moment later the elevator door opens and we head out across the lobby. The heels of our shoes click across the marble flooring. My feet are already starting to ache from wearing dress shoes, and the thought of wearing them all week makes my head throb even more. Then we're down the lobby stairs and out the front door where Kirk is waiting for us with the limo door open.

We head down Park Avenue to 65th Street and turn left. Then we drive through Central Park. Finally, we turn left onto Central Park West and pull up to a very nice apartment building. We get out and head into the lobby where we are greeted by my cousins' butler. We're taken to the penthouse suite.

As soon as we're through the foyer, Sharon descends upon us wearing the latest in post-maternity clothing. Her blond hair and makeup are done to perfection. Hugs and kisses are distributed all around, and then she leads us to a bassinette off to the side of the room. Inside is my new cousin. She's asleep, but that doesn't stop Grandmother from picking her up and cuddling her. You can say what you want about my grandmother, but she does love babies. Maybe that's why she had four of her own.

We move out onto the terrace where a table has been set for three. There's already a carafe of coffee waiting for us. The butler pours three cups and I smile my thanks as he hands me mine. Sharon and Grandmother barely acknowledge that they now have been served. They're to busy talking about the baby, family, and the latest gossip. I go out to the railing and admire the panoramic view of New York City and Central Park. I see the sun reflect off the Lake. The sight of water makes my mind drift back to this morning's phone call and I start feeling guilty all over again.

"Hey, Maggie," says Sharon, breaking into my guilt trip. "Aren't you going to come and see Vicki?"

"Of course," I say, smiling. "I just thought I'd let Grandmother have first dibs on her."

I walk back to the table and take my seat next to Grandmother.

"Good heavens, Maggie," says Sharon. "What happened to your face?"

I had totally forgotten about the scratches on my face. Has it only been two days since that ride? It seems like a lifetime ago.

"I took Magick for a ride on Saturday, and something spooked him," I reply. "We had quite the wild ride through the brush before I stopped him."

It's not the whole truth, but it's not a lie either. I know that I can't lie to them. It's impossible to lie to a Mage. To forestall any more questions about the ride, I hold my arms out toward my grandmother.

"Would you like me to check her?" I ask.

"Yes, please," answers Sharon excitedly. Every Mage family has one member who can tell whether or not a new baby will be a Mage. In my family, it's me. Grandmother hands me the small bundle and I carefully take her. Then I "feel" for her power. It's there, strong and steady. I look at Sharon and smile. A large smile lights up Sharon's face. She's looking very proud.

I've held every baby in my family since I was sixteen, but before now, I never really felt anything. I look back down at the beautiful little being in my arms. I examine her tiny pink hands and face, and for the first time in my life, I want one of my own.

"Don't look now, Grandmother," Sharon's voice breaks into my reverie. "But Maggie's getting maternal."

I quickly look up and see them both staring at me with smiles on their faces. I can feel my own face flushing. I stick my tongue out at Sharon, and then I sit back in my chair and get comfortable with Vicki nestled in my arms.

Grandmother gets up to go use the bathroom, and Sharon takes her seat.

"What's his name?" she asks.

"Who's name?" I respond, looking up at her.

"You're in love," she says. "I can see it in your face when you look at Vicki. So, what's his name?"

"Don't be ridiculous," I tell her. "When do I have time to go out meeting men, much less falling in love?"

"But you have," she continues. "And if I didn't know better, I'd say that you've even been Kissed."

I can feel my face flush again. I look down at Vicki and try to think of something to change the subject.

"HA!" she laughs. "I was right. You have been Kissed. So, what's his name?"

I sigh. I know that there's no way around it, so I just give in.

"If you promise not to tell Grandmother, I'll tell you," I say. She nods. "His name is Abe."

"Abe? That's an unusual name, but it's nice," she says. "So, when do I get to meet him?"

"You don't," I tell her.

"Why not?" she asks.

"It's complicated," I tell her.

"But…" she starts. At that moment, Grandmother returns followed by the maid and butler who are carrying our brunch. The rest of the day is pleasant, if a bit lonely for me. I make sure I don't give Sharon another chance to ask me about Abe. As hard as I try to concentrate on what's happening, my mind keeps wandering back to him and the guilt that is starting to eat a hole into my soul.


	4. The Trip, part 3

The rest of the week goes by in a haze. Between the museums, shopping, shows, shopping, art exhibits, and shopping, I almost manage to keep my mind off of him. We go shopping for appropriate night gowns for me that first day. I find one little item. It's made of silk and the color is a mottled blue and green, just like his skin. I try it on and look in the mirror. I wonder if he would like it. Then I don't know if I should cry because of what I did to him or die of embarrassment for even thinking about showing it to him. I'm not even sure if I'm glad when Grandmother insists on getting it and the matching robe for me as a belated birthday present.

But when I'm back in my room and there's nothing to distract me, I think of him. I hope he's eating again, that he's doing better. But some how, deep in my heart, I know he's not. I know because I'm not doing much better. Every time I see an aquarium I think of him. There are an amazing number of aquariums in Manhattan. I'd like to call him, but I have no number. I check my cell phone for the hundredth time, but Manning's number is still blocked.

Then there are the dreams. They keep getting more and more erotic. I'm not sure if I want to sleep or not. I'm embarrassed that I'm having them, but at the same time they fill up the hole in my soul where he should be. At least they do until I wake up.

Finally, we get to Saturday. I wake up from the latest dream sweating and panting and with an aching need that almost hurts. If I don't see him soon, I think I'll lose what little is left of my mind. I quickly get ready and head out with Grandmother.

We spend the next 8 hours being pampered from head to toe in the best day spa in Manhattan. At the end of our visit, our hair and make up are done by pros. My hair is done up in an elaborate style on top of my head. I have enough hair styling products on me that I think my hair could survive a hurricane. I also don't think it would be wise to get to close to any open flames.

Then I get dressed and look into the full length mirror in the dressing room. At first I think I'm staring at a stranger. Then I realize it's me. I've never thought of myself as being pretty, but I have to admit, I look good. The blue gown has green highlights, it has a slit in the skirt that goes most of the way up my thigh and it's only held up on one shoulder. The emerald and diamond choker with matching earrings and bracelet are sparkling with amazing brilliance. Ok, the shoes are going to be what make my feet sign a surrender treaty, but it's just for this one night. I wish Abe could see me, I think sadly. When my Grandmother sees me, even she is impressed.

The party is being held in a restaurant on the edge of Central Park, and we get to the party fashionably late. Grandmother and her friend go to great lengths to keep getting me and her astronaut grandson, Steven, together throughout most of the evening. He's a handsome man and he seems very nice, but my mind keeps wandering back to a certain tank with a certain merman in it.

It's nearly midnight, and I go outside to finally get some fresh air. As I shut the door, there is a feeling of "wrongness" in the air. I've barely used my powers this past week, so this catches me by surprise. I quickly sit down in a near by bench and send "myself" out to find out what's wrong. I'm not sure what it is, but it's very close by. I stand up and try to hurry in that direction, but my feet won't let me. Walking in these shoes has become torture, so I kick them off and carry them with me. The ground hurts my feet, but it's better than the shoes.

After jogging along for several minutes, I can hear yelling and gunfire. Then I hear something that makes me stop dead in my tracks. It's the sound of a small cannon going off multiple times. I break into a full out run. I come around a corner and see pandemonium.

Hellboy is standing in the middle of what looks to be what were once humans. Their flesh is badly desiccated and their clothes are rotting off of their bodies. The smell here reeks to high heaven. I guess if I was ever to put a picture with a zombie, this would be it. There seems to be hundreds of them, and every time Hellboy fires, one of them explodes. There are a few agents outside the crowd, but their bullets seem to be having no effect on the zombies. Then I hear a woman scream. I look toward the sound and finally notice that Hellboy is not alone. It's the woman that was driving the red sports car; one of the zombies has grabbed hold of her and is biting her shoulder. Hellboy turns and grabs the thing and rips it in two with his bare hands.

Then I "feel" a raw power building up. I take another look at the woman and she suddenly bursts into flame. Hellboy grabs her and holds her to him. The flames seem to have no effect on him even though the nearest zombies are starting to burn. I can see agents starting to run away. I realize almost too late that she has no control over what she's doing. Drawing my own power to me, I get ready to do damage control.

The wind picks up and begins to swirl around the zombies, starting to push them toward the center. As the fire grows the wind gets stronger. Eventually, the wind turns into a howling vortex that shoots at least a hundred feet into the sky. It's filled with the burning bodies of zombies, but the flames stay in the vortex I've created. After what seems to be a million years, the flames die down. I can see that Hellboy is still standing and holding the woman who looks to be either out cold or dead. I do a quick "check" and she's only out cold. As the last body burns out, I let go of the wind. The burnt out pieces fall to the ground.

If I thought the smell was bad before, it's nothing compared to the smell of burned rotting flesh. I put my hands over my nose and mouth to try and reduce the stench reaching me. That's when I notice I no longer have my shoes in my hands. I'm not sure when I dropped them, but as I cause the wind to take the smell away from me; I start to look around for them. I don't see them on the ground, but I do see a pair of men's shoes and they're being worn by John. He's staring at me like a deer caught in headlights and he's holding my shoes.

"Hi, John," I say. The wind has blown the stink away so I let my hands drop. I give him a small smile.

"Uh, hi," he says. "You look…amazing."

"Thank you," I respond. I can feel my cheeks warming and my smile gets a little bigger.

"There's someone who'd like to see you," he says, finally blinking.

"Please lead the way," I say.

He turns and leads me across the lawn. We walk for several minutes through the park until we reach a parking lot. There are several agents walking around and I can see Manning trying to organize things. I see a familiar garbage truck parked there with the back open. That's where John leads me. I look in the back and there's Abe. He's lying on the bench, his skin is now a pale blue and his eyes are closed. I can hear his respirator working, so it sounds like he's still breathing. I pull John off to the side of the truck.

"Has he eaten anything?" I ask him.

"No," he answers.

"Then what is he doing here?" I demand.

"Dr. Manning thought if we could get him out into the field, then he might come around and start doing his job again."

I sigh, while I think of many unpleasant things I would like to say to Manning. I head back toward the back of the truck and walk up the ramp. I kneel down next to the bench. The metal floor hurts my knees, but I ignore it.

"Abe?" I whisper. I place my hand on his arm. His skin is warm and dry and I know it's supposed to be cool and moist. "Abe, please wake up."

There's no response. I place my ear on his chest and I can hear his heart, so I know he's still alive. I can feel my own heart breaking seeing him like this and I know it's my fault.

"I'm sorry," is the only thing I can think to say. Then I get up and turn to go.

"I like your hair better down."

"What?" I say as I spin around and look down at him. His eyes are open and he's now struggling to sit up. I quickly bend over and help him up. Then I sit down next to him.

"I like your hair better down," he repeats. "It's easier to run my hands through it when it's down."

"I'll remember that," I say laughing. Then I start crying again. So much for the make up that I had on. He pulls me toward him and holds me. After a while I manage to regain my composure and we separate. He takes my face in his hands and gently wipes away my tears. The he kisses me. I've never felt anything so good in all my life. We stop at the sound of someone clearing his throat. Abe drops his hands as we turn and look toward the door to see Manning standing there. Figures.

I stand and walk out of the truck with Abe right behind me. I stand in front of Manning staring him down, he eventually looks away.

"Dr. Manning, I will be at your front gate Monday morning at 9:00 am sharp," I tell him. "Be prepared."

I go and collect my shoes from John who's standing off to the side a bit trying not to stare. I thank him and then I return to Abe.

"I'll see you Monday," I say. "Please eat something."

He smiles at me, gently kisses me and then says, "I will."

I turn to start heading back only to find my way blocked by Hellboy.

"Did you cause that wind?" he asks.

"Yes, I did," I answer.

"Thanks," he says gruffly.

"You're welcome," I say.

I leave and make my way back. I walk past the restaurant where everyone seems oblivious to what's been going on. The party's scheduled to go on for at least another couple of hours, and I'm just not interested in sticking around. I head for the parking lot and find Kirk. He drives me back to the hotel and I head up to my room. I strip and shower, and then I rummage around in the bags of purchases that are scattered around the living room. I finally find what I'm looking for. I slip on the silk night gown that Grandmother bought for me and then crawl into bed. This time, my dreams are a little less stimulating.


	5. The Return Home

The next morning is spent packing and getting ready to return home. Before we leave, we have lunch with Sharon and Vicki in a quiet corner of the hotel's restaurant. As we're waiting for our food to come, I get to hold Vicki. The feeling of wanting a baby comes over me again.

"What is his name?" Grandmother asks rather sternly.

I look up from the little bundle of perfection in my arms.

"What's whose name?" I ask, totally confused.

"The young man you are in love with," says Grandmother.

"What makes you think I'm in love?" I reply. My heart is starting to race and I can feel my face warming up.

"You keep looking at Vicki like you want one for your own," she says. "Therefore, you must be in love."

"It is totally possible to want a baby and not be in love, Grandmother," I respond.

"Not in this family it's not," she replies. "So, what is the young man's name?"

I can see the grilling coming. I know she won't let up until I've answered all of her questions. I contemplate creating a hole under me so I can disappear, but I realize that it's just not feasible. I'm still holding the baby. Grandmother is staring at me. Sharon is trying not to laugh herself out of her seat.

"Abe," I say quietly, staring at the table. I feel like a little kid who's been caught doing something bad.

"Abe what?" she asks.

"Sapien. His name is Abe Sapien," I answer weakly.

"That's a rather unusual last name," she says. "Where is he from? Have you met his parents? Does he come from a good family? Does he work? What does he do for a living?"

With every question she asks, I realize that I don't know a lot about Abe. In fact, I know almost nothing about him.

"I don't know," I tell her. "We'd only just met before I came to New York."

"Have you Kissed him?" she asks.

"No," I say. Technically I'm not lying. After all, **I **didn't kiss **him**.

"Has he Kissed you?" she continues.

Drat. "Yes," I answer meekly.

"When?"

"A week ago," I answer quietly.

"Good," she says. I look up at her confused.

"Good?" I ask.

"Yes, that gives me nearly a whole year to plan the wedding," she replies.

"Wedding!? What wedding!?" Ok, now I'm starting to panic.

"You're wedding of course, child," she says smiling a self satisfied smile. I hate it when she smiles like that. I always feel like a mouse that's been cornered by a cat.

"Shouldn't we wait until he asks me first?" I ask barely controlling the panic.

"Of course not," she says. "He'll ask you, don't worry. Besides, you need to consummate your First Kiss exactly one year and a day after. I guess that means we'll have to have the wedding on a Monday, but that can't be helped. What time did he kiss you?"

"About 3:00," I tell her. Ok, now I'm starting to hyperventilate "Why do we have to consummate the Kiss one year and a day after it?"

"To increase your chances of having a baby, of course," she says smiling. "It's just the way things are, my dear. You're parents wouldn't have been able to have you if they hadn't had their wedding one year and a day after their Fist Kiss. Didn't you ever wonder why you were an only child?"

I stop panicking for a moment and stare at her.

"What do you mean?" I ask her.

"Think about it for a moment," she tells me. "Earth and Air are natural opposites. You're parents should never have been able to fall in love much less have a baby. It's just the way things are with our kind. But since they consummated their First Kiss exactly one year and a day after, they were able to have you. Now do you understand?"

I sit and think about what Grandmother has said. Vicki stirs in my arms and I look at her. Her birthday is June 1st. Then I look up at Sharon in shock. She was married less then a year ago. Sharon smiles at me and nods.

"Ron and I had our First Kiss on August 30th," she says. "That's why we were married on September 1st."

"Not only is the day important," continues Grandmother, "but the time as well. How could you have Kissed this young man at 3:00 if you were with me?"

"I never said we Kissed in the afternoon," I reply. The shock on Grandmother's face is almost worth the grilling I've been getting.

"Well, in that case," she says, quickly regaining her composure, "we'll just have to have the wedding on Sunday evening and have the reception go until about 2:00. 2:30 at latest."

Luckily for me, the server arrives with our meals. I eat my salad in silence while Grandmother starts planning the wedding and reception sites, caterers, music, flowers, and all the rest of the things that are required to make my wedding the social event of the year. I'm not sure how to tell her that Abe isn't exactly what she thinks he is.

Finally, lunch is over and we say our goodbyes to Sharon and Vicki. Grandmother and I climb into the limo and while Kirk drives me home, Grandmother starts making the guest list. I sit and idly wonder what Abe would look like in a tux. How would he get the tie around his respirator? I suppose we could tape it to the front of the thing. The absurdity of it almost makes me laugh out loud.

Kirk gets me home in record time and soon I'm watching the limo go down the driveway and out the main gate. I turn and go inside and wonder how I'm going to explain to Abe that we're supposed to be getting married in less then a year.


	6. The Visit, part 1

The alarm goes off at exactly 6:00 am, but I'm already up and dressed. All of my family knows that once I'm down on the ranch that I'm usually to busy to talk, so the calls started coming in about 5:00 this morning. It seems Grandmother has been very busy telling everyone about the wedding, and they all seem to be calling me to congratulate me. It also seems that Grandmother didn't skimp on any of the details either. It doesn't help that I was up late catching up on work.

"So what were you doing out at 3:00 in the morning, young lady?" Aunt Stephanie demands. Never mind that she lives in California and that's exactly what time it is there right now.

"I'm a grown woman, Aunt Stephanie," I tell her. "I can stay out late now."

"I know that, it's just what were you doing kissing a man you barely knew?" she asks.

"Love will make you do crazy things," I answer. "I really do need to go now, Aunt Stephanie. It was really good to hear from you."

"Well, alright dear. Congratulations again. I'll see you at the bridal shower."

"Thank you. Give my love to Uncle John. Bye."

I hang up and head for the door before the phone can ring again. But it rings just as I'm shutting the front door. I firmly close the door behind me and head down the hill. Some very smart person invented the answering machine, and I have nothing but nice words for that person right now. I'm sure I'll have a couple dozen messages by the time I get back up the hill, but it's better than having my ears talked off.

I head down the hill and spend the next hour and a half keeping busy. At around 7:30 I head back up the hill to get ready to go to the BPRD. The thought of seeing Abe again makes my stomach feel like I've swallowed a swarm of butterflies. I dress in slacks, a blouse and a nice comfortable pair of dress boots that I picked up in New York. What a concept. Dress shoes that don't kill your feet.

I put on some make up and then brush my hair out of its braid before tying back with a ribbon. I haven't forgotten what Abe said about my hair. Eventually, I'm ready and I head out to the garage. As soon as I'm in my Jaguar, I open the garage door and then start the engine. The car purrs to life and I pull out and head for the gate.

At exactly 9:00, I pull up to the front gate of the BPRD. I push a call button and announce who I am and who I'm here to see when asked by the gentleman on the other end. A moment later the gate opens and I pull through. I park in a guest parking spot, which kind of surprises me they would even have any of these, and head into the lobby. I walk toward the desk at the end of a long lobby.

"Stop," says the guard behind the desk.

I do as I'm told.

"Watch your arms," he says.

Before I can ask him what he means, the floor beneath me starts to move downward. I look down and realize that I'm standing on a platform and on it is engraved a giant emblem. It takes me a moment to figure out that it's a hand clutching the handle of a sword. A few moments later, the platform stops in front of a pair of gold doors. I go through and find that I'm in the library again. Hellboy and the black haired woman are here and Abe is in his tank. Abe seems to be teasing Hellboy about something. The woman is trying to hide her smile behind her hand and Hellboy is so close to the glass of Abe's tank that his breath is fogging it up.

"Listen, Fish Face," Hellboy growls. "At least what I eat can't be classified as garbage."

"Have you really checked the ingredients of those hot dogs you just ate?" asks Abe. He's floating upside down in front of Hellboy. He seems to be enjoying getting Hellboy riled. He's also a much healthier blue than he was the last time I saw him.

Before Hellboy can respond, I step a little farther into the room. Abe spots me and immediately swims as close as he can to me.

"Hello, Maggie," he says.

"Hello, Abe," I say, smiling. I turn to the others. "Hello, Hellboy." Hellboy nods at me, he's still scowling. I hold my hand out to the woman and take a step toward her, "Hello, I'm Margaret Cavendish."

"Hi, I'm Liz," she answers shyly. She gently takes my hand and gives a gentle shake before letting go. Something clicks in my head. I turn to Abe.

"Is this the Liz whose name you said after you kissed me?" I ask him. There's silence for a moment.

"You kissed her and then said another woman's name!?" Hellboy says gleefully. "Damn that's a good one, Abe."

I can see Abe turn a darker shade of blue and slowly sink out of sight as Hellboy starts laughing.

"He didn't really say my name after he kissed you, did he?" Liz asks. Her eyes are a clear blue.

I nod. Hellboy is still snickering.

"How's your shoulder?" I ask Liz.

"It's fine, thanks," she says. "I'm a bit bruised, but nothing's broken."

"I'm glad to hear that," I tell her. John walks in.

"Hi," he says. "Dr. Manning is waiting to see you."

"Thank you, John," I say. "It was nice meeting you, Liz."

I start to cross the room, but before I leave, I turn to Hellboy. "Try not to tease him too badly."

"Sure thing," he lies.

I just shake my head as I walk out the door following John. A short time later I'm shown Manning's office. Manning is sitting behind his desk when I come in. He stands, comes around the desk and extends his hand. I take the offered hand with more confidence this time.

"Miss Cavendish," he says, "welcome back to the BPRD. Please, have a seat."

He indicates to one of the chairs in front of his desk. I take one of the offered seats while he retakes his seat and looks at me.

"Is there anything you would like? Coffee? Tea?"

"No, thank you," I say. "Dr. Manning there a few things that I would like to discuss with you. The first is Liz."

"Ah, yes, Miss Sherman," he says. "What would you like to know?"

"Tell me about her."

I listen as he tells me about Elizabeth Ann Sherman. At age 11 her pyrokenetic powers manifested, resulting in a fire that leveled one city block. 32 people died, including her parents and her brother. After he finishes, I sit and think about what he's just told me.

"Were the parents that died her biological parents?" I ask him.

"Yes," he answers. He's a bit confused and he's not the only one.

"Well, either her mother was fooling around or there was a mix up at the hospital that she was born at," I say.

"Why do you say that?" he asks.

"Because Fire Mages can't burn to death," I tell him.

"I don't follow you," he says.

"Remember how I told you that Mage powers tend to run in families?" He nods. "Liz Sherman is obviously a Fire Mage which means at least one of her parents should have been a Fire Mage as well."

We sit in silence for a minute.

"Are you sure she's a Fire Mage?"

"Yes."

More silence.

"Is it possible for a Mage to be born to non-Mage parents?" he finally asks me.

"I guess anything's possible," I tell him. "After all, Mages are only supposed to be able control one element, yet here I am. I will try and find Miss Sherman a Teacher so that she can have better control of her powers."

"Miss Sherman has already been trained by the bureau," he says haughtily. I can feel one of my eyebrows rising toward my hairline.

"If you call what happened the other night proper training, Dr. Manning, then I think you need to get your eyes checked," I reply. "No Mage should loose control of his or her power like that. If money is a concern, then I will pay for the Teacher."

Before he can say any more, I continue.

"Now about Abe," I start.

"Yes," he interrupts. "What exactly happened last week?"

"What happened between Abe and me is between us, and is nobody else's concern," I respond. "However, what **you** did to Abe is totally unacceptable. To take an agent out into the field that is not able to perform his job is like a jockey asking his lame horse to run in the Kentucky Derby. It's foolish and someone is more than likely to get hurt from it. You are lucky that no one was hurt."

"I was trying to get him to snap out of his self pity, or what ever it was he was doing," he explains.

"Dr. Manning," I reply, "please leave psychiatry to the experts."

He glares at me, but I ignore the look.

"The final thing I would like to talk about is how I can help the bureau," I say. "I am willing to assist the bureau, but there a few things that you must know. The first is that I get final say one whether or not I go on a mission. If I feel my help is not warranted, then I will not go. I will not take up residence here, so you will need to contact me if you want my help. I would also like to have a way to contact the bureau if I need to. Since I am not in need of money, there will be no need to put me on a payroll. Do you have any questions?"

"How long will it take to get a Teacher for Miss Sherman?" he asks after he thinks for a minute.

"It depends on how many are in the area and whether or not any of them are compatible with her," I answer. "If there are no compatible Teachers in the area, than I will have to widen my search radius. For security reasons, I am willing for her lessons to take place at my house."

Manning agrees to this and then writes a couple of phone numbers down. The first is the main number for the BPRD and the second is his office. I leave, and make my way back to the library. It's time to tell Abe about the wedding. Oh joy.


	7. The Visit, part 2

Something about the conversation that I've just had with Manning has given me a nagging feeling that I should be remembering something, but I can't for the life of me figure out what. My feet are starting to ache, despite that these boots are more comfortable then regular dress shoes. They probably haven't forgiven me for the last week.

I walk into the library. Liz and Hellboy have left, and Abe is swimming around in his tank. I walk up to the glass, he sees me, and dives straight to the bottom of his tank.

"You're mad at me, aren't you?" I ask.

"Hmph," is the only response I get.

"I'm sorry," I say. "But you did say Liz's name right after you kissed me."

I lean against the glass and look down trying to see him, but I can't. He's probably close to the wall under the glass. I look up and see a dark square patch above me. That must be how he gets in and out of the tank.

"We need to talk," I tell him. Silence.

I look around the room and notice the spiral staircase. I go upstairs. At the top of the stairs is a hallway with several doors leading off of it. I look through the first door and find the top of the tank. Most of the floor is taken up by the open hole in it. The only light in the room is coming from the tank, so the room is bathed in a shimmering blue light. There's a table and chair off to one side. There are towels on the table, the top half of his outfit is hanging from a peg in the wall and his respirator is on a shelf above the peg.

The most unusual thing in the room is the small black kitten sleeping on the chair with a glove. I quietly go over to the chair. The kitten suddenly looks up at me with big yellow eyes. She quickly runs and hides under the chair. I squat down and look at her.

"I'm sorry, sweetie," I say quietly. "I didn't mean to scare you."

My feet are protesting now. I'd like nothing more than to go home and soak my feet, but that's not going to be possible until I get things sorted out with Abe.

"Her name is Shadow," Abe says behind me. I turn and look at him. He's leaning on the edge of his tank. "She's a bit shy."

"Where'd she come from?" I ask, standing up. I suddenly realize that my thigh muscles didn't like that position.

"Hellboy found her and her sister in an alley up in Trenton," he says. "She's not supposed to be out of his room, but she keeps managing to sneak up here."

"What's with the glove?" I ask as I start walking toward him.

"It's one of mine," he answers. "It's a long story."

"I'd like to hear it sometime," I tell him. "But right now we need to talk."

"Take your shoes off," he says.

"What?"

"Take your shoes off. Your feet are hurting, so take them off."

I go over to the chair and sit down. I take my shoes off. Then I grab a towel and head back to the edge of the tank. I put the towel on the floor and then I sit down on it.

"Take your socks off," he says.

"Why?"

"So you can soak your feet."

"Where?"

"Right here," he says indicating the water in his tank.

"My pant legs will get wet," I tell him.

"So roll them up," he replies.

I take my socks off and toss them toward my shoes and then I roll up my pant legs.

"I feel like a refugee from a Mark Twain story," I say as roll up the last leg.

"Now put them in the water," he says.

"Are you sure about this?" I ask him. "I mean we are talking feet here."

"All of me is already in here," he answers. "Besides, that's what the filters are for."

I scoot closer to the edge and carefully stick my feet in. The water is the perfect temperature for cooling off over tired feet, not too cold, not too hot. I sigh with pleasure. Abe comes over to me and takes one of me feet in his hands. He starts rubbing it and it feels so good that my mind goes blank with the pleasure.

"What did you want to talk about?" he quietly asks me. I open my eyes and look at him. I hadn't even realized I had closed my eyes.

"Who are you?" I ask him.

"That's an interesting question," he says. "What do you mean by it?"

"I mean just that. Who are you?" I reply. "I don't know anything about you, even though you know pretty much everything about me."

Abe floats there a minute slowly treading water while rubbing my foot. Then he starts to tell me about himself. I close my eyes again, and I can see in my mind's eye his story. How he was found in a long forgotten chamber under St. Trinian's Hospital in Washington, D.C. by some plumbers. How he got his name from a scrap of paper pinned to the wall near the tube he was found in. About his first memories, the pain he felt as he was given a jolt of electricity to revive him. The fear and confusion of waking up for the first time and not know who he was or where he came from or where he was. The tests the bureau preformed on him until Hellboy put a stop to it. He tells me about Professor Broom, Hellboy's adoptive father, and his first meeting with Liz. He tells me that he likes to read just about anything he can get his hands on and that he's the one who does most of the research on missions.

When he stops talking I open my eyes again. At some point, I'm not sure when, he started rubbing my other foot while he was talking.

"Now there's something I need to tell you," I tell him. I'm not sure how to tell him my grandmother's plans. Suddenly, his eyes get very large and he stops kicking, causing him to sink. Unfortunately, he hasn't let go of my foot and he nearly pulls me into the water with him.

"AAAHHH!" I yell as I throw my weight back, and start trying to grab hold of something to keep me out of the drink. I start kicking with my free leg. A moment later, Abe's head breaks the surface of the water, and he pushes me back up onto the edge. My pants are now soaking wet, so much for rolling them up.

"A wedding!?" he says in a nearly panicked voice.

"Yeah, that was my reaction too," I say.

"Can't you tell her 'no'?" he asks.

"You try it," I tell him. "I know my grandmother. Unless the Earth plunges into the sun, she is going to plan this wedding. She's been planning for this since my 18th birthday. I'm sorry, Abe. I never meant for any of this to happen."

I start pulling my feet out of the water when he grabs my ankle.

"Why does she want to get you married so badly?" he asks.

"There's this whole consummating thing that she went into," I say. "It's pretty complicated."

Suddenly he pulls himself out of the water right in front of me. He's holding himself up by his arms and dripping all over me, so much for having any dry clothes to go home in.

"I think we can make that 'consummating thing' pretty simple," he says with a smile.

All of a sudden, he's kissing me and pushing me down onto my back. His tongue enters my mouth and I return the favor. He has one hand behind my head to keep it off the floor and the other up my blouse, searching. I pull him towards me. My legs part and my knees come up to let him get closer. I find the zipper to his shorts at the same time he finds the clasp to my bra.

BANG!!!

I nearly jump out of my skin. I turn and see Hellboy standing there with a rather surprised look on his face. Then a grin slowly spreads across that big red mug of his. A sudden wind slams the door shut in his face. He tries the knob, but it won't turn. He starts getting rough with the door as he tries to force his way in.

"You better let him in before he breaks the door down," Abe says. He rolls off of me and stands up in one fluid motion. He then helps me up. As soon as I'm on my feet I release the door. Hellboy comes flying in when the door suddenly opens for him. He almost falls into the tank.

I pick up the towel I was sitting on and walk back over to the chair. The kitten is walking in the opposite direction dragging the glove along. I watch her as she walks over to Hellboy and sits down. It's like she's waiting for him to notice her. He picks her and the glove up and sticks her in one of the pockets of his duster.

I sit down and start trying to squeeze the excess water out of my pants with the towel.

"I take it you came up here looking for Shadow?" Abe asks Hellboy.

"Yeah," he answers. He still has that stupid grin on his face. "I guess you guys kissed and made up."

"You could say that," says Abe. He walks toward me, picks up a towel and starts helping me get the moisture out of my pants.

"You know, it's easier to get into the pants from the top, not the bottom," Hellboy teases.

"Like you've had any better luck with Liz," Abe retorts.

"Have you and Liz kissed?" I suddenly ask Hellboy. He looks at me, startled.

"Of course I've kissed her," he says. "She is **my** girlfriend."

"When did you first kiss her?" I ask.

"Last November," he growls. "What is this? 20 questions?"

Abe and I look at each other. I start pulling on my socks.

"You think Liz is a Mage?" Ave asks.

"No," I answer, pulling on my first boot. "I know she is."

"Maybe we should sic your grandmother on them," Abe jokes. "It's not like Liz has any family to plan her wedding."

I stop in the middle of pulling on my second boot. A Mage born with no Family. The memory comes flooding back to me.

_Daddy and the Librarian are sitting at the dinner table talking about a book that the Librarian has been translating with Daddy's help. The book is lying open on the table and there are papers strewn all over the place._

"_Are you sure about this?" asks Daddy._

"_I'm positive of it, Rupert," answers the Librarian. "The book says that a Mage born with no Family will bring about the end of the world."_

I'm suddenly shaken out of my reverie by Abe grabbing my arms. His face is inches from mine and his eyes are large again. I have no doubt that he's just seen my memory.

"I have to go," I say as I quickly finish putting on my boot and stand up.

"What did you say this time, Abe?" Hellboy teases. Abe and I both ignore him as I charge out of the room with Abe right on my heels. Hellboy follows us in confusion. I'm across the library and out the doors in a heart beat. Abe is still right behind me. Hellboy is a couple of steps behind him. I step onto the platform outside the doors, but I have no idea how to make it go up. I turn around looking for the controls. I find Abe standing there.

He reaches behind me and pulls the ribbon out of my hair. He runs his fingers through my hair and then he cradles my head in his hands as he bends over and kisses me. I wrap my arms around him. When we finally separate, I can feel the sadness coming from him.

"Don't worry, my love," I tell him. "I'll be back before you know it."

He hands back the ribbon. I take it and tie it around one of his wrists. I hug him and then I gently push him off of the platform. He reaches over and pushes a button on the wall. The platform start to rise and I can see Hellboy standing in the doorway with a look of total confusion on his face. I'm sure Abe will fill him and the others in later on what I'm about to do and why I have to do it alone. I can't bear to watch Abe watching me, so I turn and face the opposite direction.

As soon as the platform stops, I quickly head out to the car. As soon as I'm in, I plug in the handless jack into my phone and start making calls. First, I call my travel agent and book a flight to Mexico. It leaves in about three hours. I call Helen to let her know I'll be gone for a few days. Then I call a limo service to arrange a pick up in one hour. I make it home in record time. I go inside to quickly pack one bag and then I grab my laptop and put it in its bag with a spare battery. Luckily, I've just charged both of the batteries. The limo arrives and I get in. As we head for the airport, I pop open my laptop and start sending emails. It's been a long time since I've seen the Librarian. I wonder if he'll remember me.

_**Author's note:** Shadow is a character from a story that I co-wrote. If you want to read her and her sister's story, then please read "A Tail of two Kitties."_


	8. The Library

I'm floating underwater, but I have no trouble breathing. It's dark and I can't see very well. Something grabs my ankle. I look down getting ready to kick. It's Abe and he's smiling. He kisses my leg right above my ankle. He slowly works his way up my leg. His hands are caressing my body, those long fingers probing. I writhe with pleasure. He gets to my inner thigh… 

BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

I all but fall out of bed. I thought those blasted dreams had stopped. I fumble around on the night stand until I find the alarm and turn it off. I drag myself out of bed and head for the bathroom. I got to my room around 11:00 local time last night. It's just after 5:00 am now. I don't do well without enough sleep, but I have several hours of driving to do, followed by at least an hour's hike. I hope I'll be able to make it back to the hotel by tonight.

I dress in a tank top, shorts and hiking boots and put my long hair in a loose bun on top of my head. I head down to the lobby were I purchase several large bottles of water and energy bars. I grab breakfast to go and then head out to the 4X4 I rented last night.

I head south, staying on the main road for a couple of hours. I start "feeling" around for the turn off. I finally find it, and I turn off the main road onto a little dirt track through the jungle. I continue to "feel" for where to turn for the next hour or so. At long last, I reach a dead end.

I put my supplies into my back pack and then get out of the truck. I "feel" around for the right direction. I find what I'm looking for and head out. I'm not used to this type of work out and after a while my legs are letting me know what they think about the whole thing.

After more than an hour, I finally come to the base of a mountain. There is a large moss covered bolder in front of me. I draw my power to me and place my hand on a symbol inscribed on the rock that's almost completely covered by the moss. But I don't need to look for it, for I already know it's there. As soon as my hand touches the symbol, it glows and the bolder moves out of my way. I step into the opening on the other side. As soon as I'm in, the bolder moves back. I'm in a tunnel and I can see light at the end of it. I head for the light.

I enter a large circular chamber that's at least a hundred feet across. On my right is a giant brazier with a fire burning in it. On my left is a large pool of water. I step through a small shaft of sunlight coming through a small crack in the ceiling far above me. The far side of the chamber is a blank stone wall. On the floor in the center of the chamber, like the bolder outside, is a circle engraved into the stone. In the circle are pictures of a tree, rain, a flame, and a twister. I walk to the center of the chamber and I step into the center of the circle.

Four things happen at once. The fire in the brazier shoots to the ceiling, a spout of water comes out of the pool, the ground in front of me shakes and moves and a whirlwind kicks up behind me. Finally, the four guardians of the elements take on the forms of 20 foot long dragons suited to each of its environments. They are all staring at me with red glowing eyes.

"WHO DARES TRESSPASS ON THIS SACRED PLACE!" they demand in unison. Their voices bounce off of the walls of the chamber making it impossible to answer for several moments. When the echoes die down, I respond.

"Margaret Susan Cavendish," I say in a clear loud voice. "Keeper of the Wind and the Earth."

The guardians of Air and Earth move toward me and touch me with their snouts. Satisfied, they return to their places.

"HAIL, AND WELCOME!" they say.

"Hail, and thank you," I respond. The guardians return from whence they came and the wall in front of me opens up to reveal another tunnel.

I go through the tunnel and enter another chamber. This is one is much smaller than the last one. There is a desk and chair here and the room is lit by several oil lamps lining the walls. A door leading to another chamber is across the room from me and I can see shelves lined with books in the next room. A slightly portly man who looks to be in his early 60's is standing behind the desk. The curly mop of hair on his head used to be black once, but it's now streaked with gray.

"Buenos Dias…" he begins. He stops in the middle of his greeting, and his dark eyes get very wide. "Maggie? Maggie Cavendish?"

I guess he does remember me. I smile and say, "Hola, Uncle Guillermo."

The Librarian quickly comes around his desk. He crosses the room with his arms wide open. Dropping my back pack behind me, I meet him half way and he embraces me in a great big bear hug. It's been such a long time since I've seen the man who used to come to my father for help translating ancient texts. I remember him being such a big part of my life that would call him "Uncle." That was before I went to live with my Grandmother, and I'd forgotten how much I miss his hugs. After several minutes, he lets go of me which is good, since I was starting to have trouble breathing.

"Little Maggie," he says in flawless English, holding my hands in his. "How have you been? Why don't you write me any more?"

"I'm fine, thank you," I answer. I look down, embarrassed. "I'm sorry I haven't written in so long. I've been pretty busy with the ranch."

He snorts at that last part.

"Come," he says, turning and starting to lead me by the hand through the door behind the desk. "You are hungry and need to freshen up. I know the trek out here is not an easy one."

We pass through the door and go through several chambers. Most of these chambers have book cases made from the walls themselves and are filled with ancient volumes. A couple of the rooms have cases in them that contain powerful relics. Finally, we pass through a door that leads to the living area.

I go and freshen up and then I join him in the small kitchen where there is a plate of fresh cut up fruit and a pot of tea waiting. We talk about the times when my parents were still alive, and I catch him up with what I've been doing with my life for the past several years and about the ranch.

"I have the name of a new Mage for your records, by the way," I tell him. He goes and gets a pen and paper and then waits for me to continue. "Victoria Pearl Mann. Air Mage. Born June first 2005. Manhattan, New York."

"So Sharon had the baby," he says. "I'm glad to hear that. How is your grandmother?"

"She's fine," I answer. "She's still keeping busy."

"Doing what?" he asks with a strange look on his face.

"Oh, you know," I say, "this and that."

"She wouldn't be planning a wedding, would she?" he asks with a slight smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye.

"Why do say that?" I respond taking a quick sip of my nearly cold tea. I know he can "feel" my heart starting to beat faster.

"You've been Kissed!" he announces with a large grin on his face.

"Do I have the words 'I've been Kissed' been written across my forehead in letters that I can't see?" I ask in frustration.

"I can see it in your eyes," he laughs.

"Great," I grumble.

"Just make sure I'm invited to the wedding," he says. Then he turns serious. "But you didn't come all the way out here for a social visit or to give me the name of a new Mage. Why are you here, Maggie?"

"I need to know if you ever finished translating a text that you and Daddy were working on," I tell him. Knowing that there were a lot of books that they worked on together, I try and give him more details. "The two of you were working on it just before my parents died and there was a part about a Mage born with no Family bringing about the end of the world."

He looks at me with a slight frown on his face.

"Why do you need this book?" he finally asks.

"I believe I've found the Mage with no Family," I answer.

He looks at me with widened eyes that are filled with worry and fear. He gets up so quickly from his seat that the chair falls over. He charges out of the room, and I get up and follow him back into The Library. He goes to the room set deepest into the mountain. There is a large table in the center of the room with several books on it. Some are closed, but a few are open and there are papers scattered all over the place. He starts looking through the papers until he finds the one he wants.

"Tell me about this Mage?" he demands.

"She's a Fire Mage. Her powers manifested when she was eleven and her parents were killed by the resulting fire," I tell him.

His face goes white. He sits down in the closest chair. He looks at me with his eyes so wide I can see the whites all the way around the iris.

"That's an almost exact description of the Mage in the book," he whispers. "Where is she now?"

"New Jersey," I answer.

"I haven't been able to finish translating the book," he says quietly. "Without your father's help, I've reached an impasse. I do know that the time for the destruction of the world will be soon, I just don't know where or how. I need your father now more than ever."

I stand there chewing my lip while he shuffles around some more papers. Then a thought hits me.

"I think I know someone who can help," I say suddenly. He looks at me sharply. "I'll need to take the book and your notes back to New Jersey with me, but I think he can do it."

"You can't take the book with you," he says sadly.

"Why not?" I ask.

"Because," he says, "only the Librarian can take any of the books out of The Library. The guardians will kill anyone else who tries to remove the books."

"Then you'll have to come with me," I tell him.

"But…" he starts.

"No 'buts'," I tell him. Coming over to where he's sitting, I start trying to pull him out of his chair. "The fate of the world is at stake here. Now pack some of your stuff and let's go."

I finally manage to get him moving. I help him get his notes and the book packed, then he packs some clothes. I manage to find his passport, which, thankfully, hasn't expired yet. I collect my back pack and then we head out past the guardians. Guillermo insists on carrying the book. They appear and watch us suspiciously, but they let us pass unharmed.

"What was that all about?" I ask him as soon as we're outside.

"They were making sure that I wasn't being coerced," he answers. "Otherwise, they would have killed you."

Well, isn't that pleasant? I think. I lead him back to where I've parked the truck. We have to stop several times, since he's not used to this much exercise. After a couple of hours we finally manage to get to the truck. The sun is starting to lower in the sky. We head to Mexico City. I keep checking my cell phone, but I can't get an antenna out here in the jungle. We finally reach the outskirts of town and I can now make a call. First I try Manning's number, but all I get is his voice mail. Then I try the main number. When I finally get through, I'm told that Manning isn't there. I leave a message telling the person on the other end to have him call me immediately.

When we get to the hotel, I go inside, collect my stuff from my room and then check out. Then we head for the airport. After returning the car, I book a couple of seats on the next flight back to the US. Guillermo is clutching the book to him and I have to all but pry it out of his arms so we can get through security. We're finally sitting on the plane waiting for take off and I look over at Guillermo. He's clutching the book to his chest and is as white as a sheet.

"What's wrong?" I ask him.

"I don't like flying," he says through gritted teeth.

Now that I think of it, I've never met an Earth Mage that did like to fly. I know that Mom hated it. That's why she and Daddy were on that cruise to Hawaii. I quickly turn away from that painful memory.

"Don't worry," I comfort. "Nothing's going to happen while I'm on the plane."

"It's not that I'm afraid that the plane won't stay up," he says. "It's that I'm afraid it won't come down. I really don't like loosing contact with the Earth."

"Ah, now I understand," I reply. "I'm sorry, but this is the fastest way, and we're working on limited time."

"I know," he says sadly.

I feel bad for him, but there's nothing I can do. A few hours later, we're in an American airport waiting for our connecting flight. Just before we're to board, my cell phone rings.

"Hello?"

"Miss Cavendish, this is Dr. Manning"

"Dr. Manning, I'm glad to hear from you. Has Abe been able to tell you why I left?"

"Yes," he says. "He told all of us. Hellboy and Miss Sherman were both upset by what little he could tell us. I do wish you could have been able to give us more details before you took off like that."

"I'm afraid I didn't have any more information than what Abe was able to tell you," I reply. "However, I do believe I have found help. I'm bringing someone with the book that will hopefully give us the answers we need. He and Abe are going to have to work together on this one."

"I'm not very happy with this, Miss Cavendish," says Manning. "I really don't have time for this right now. I have a bigger problem on my hands then some supposed prophesy that you only partly remember."

"And what would that be, Dr. Manning?" I ask.

"Miss Sherman is missing."


	9. The Flight

I thank Manning for the update and hang up. I numbly stare out the window onto the darkening tarmac. I hear them announce pre-boarding for our flight, but it doesn't register in my brain.

"What's wrong?" asks Guillermo.

"Liz is missing," I answer not taking my eyes off of the nearly dark world outside.

"Who's Liz?"

I finally turn and look at him.

"She's the lady I told you about earlier," I reply, "the lady without a family."

His eyes get wide and he gets a worried look on his face. They announce first class boarding.

"You know," he says, "I never thought I'd hear myself say this."

"Say what?" I ask him.

"We'd better get on the plane."

I realize he's right. I pick up my bag and we head for the jet way. After we get to our seats, I just stare out the window, and I wonder. Are we too late? How is Liz going to be able to destroy the world? I've touched her power, and as strong as she is, she's not **that** strong.

As these questions run around in my head, the plane finally taxis and takes off. I decide that the best way to deal with the stress of waiting is to give the plane a little "push." It takes me a couple of minutes, but I finally manage to rearrange the wind currents enough to give us a tail wind just as we reach cruising altitude. After I'm done, I realize how tired I am and I lean my seat back. I get comfortable and close my eyes.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," says Guillermo. I open one eye and look at him.

"Wouldn't do what?" I ask him.

"Sleep," he replies.

"Why?"

"Because of the dream you'll have," he answers.

"What dream?" I ask opening the other eye.

"The one where you and your young man get, um," he hesitates, "physical."

I can feel my face heating up. I put my seat back up.

"What exactly do you mean?"

"When you're apart from your young man, do you have," he pauses again, "rather vivid dreams?"

"How did you know about those?"

"It's the same for all of us," he says. "After the First Kiss and before the wedding night, you will have very graphic dreams when you and your beloved are far apart."

I think about it for a while, and I realize that every time I've had one of those dreams, I've been pretty far away from Abe. Great. I haven't had a chance to take a shower since yesterday, and now I'm not allowed to sleep. I sigh and try and think of a way to stay awake.

"How much of the book did you and Daddy get translated?" I ask.

"Enough to have me worried," he answers. He pulls out his notes. "We managed to find out that it involves someone without a family, some type of blood altar and a certain alignment of the planets. In fact, the only part that I'm positive about is the time. I've checked all of the astronomical readings and the planets are almost in position. Also, it's supposed to happen on the eve of the dark of the moon. That's supposed to be this Sunday."

"It's Tuesday now, and it'll be close to midnight when we land," I say. "That gives us less than a week to get the book fully translated. There's also the little matter of finding Liz. Her boyfriend is probably on the verge of breaking things, if he isn't already doing so."

"Is her boyfriend a violent man?" he asks.

"I wouldn't say violent, but he does have a temper," I tell him. "And he's big. Very big."

"Speaking of boyfriends, why don't you tell me about yours," he says, smiling. What the heck. He's going to have to meet him soon anyways, but I also don't want any one else on the plane know I'm dating a merman.

"His name is Abe Sapien," I start. "He's tall, has the most incredible blue eyes, and he can read my mind."

"And?" he prompts. I can tell he's enjoying this. I narrow my eyes and I'm almost tempted to not say any more.

"We met a little over a week ago," I continue. "He works for the government doing research."

"So, how long did you know him before you Kissed him?" he asks, a smile stretching his lips.

"I didn't Kiss him," I inform him.

"Ok, how long did you know him before he Kissed you?"

"About 7 hours," I mumble. He starts laughing. I try and disappear into my seat as people turn and stare.

"Jeez, girl," he finally says, gasping. "I knew that when you finally met Mr. Right that things would go quickly, but that's got to be some sort of record."

I glare at him and then I turn and look out the window. There's not much to look at since it's full on dark now.

"I'm sorry," he says, resting a hand on my shoulder. "How did you meet Liz?"

"I sort of met Liz through Abe and H.B.," I tell him.

"Who's H.B.?" he asks.

"Liz's boyfriend," I answer

"What does 'H.B.' stand for?"

"I'll tell you later." I don't think mentioning Hellboy's name in such a public place would be a good idea either.

"So, how did you meet Abe and H.B.?"

"That's a bit more complicated," I tell him. "I'll tell you when we have a bit more privacy."

"Ah," he says.

We sit for several minutes in silence. I do a quick "check" on our tailwind to make sure it's doing its job. I finally decide it's my turn to play inquisitor.

"Is there anything else I should be warned about now that I've been Kissed?" I ask.

"Well, I've told you about the dreams, and I know that your father warned you about your First Kiss some years ago. I imagine your grandmother told you about the whole year and a day thing?" he says that last part as a question. I nod. "Did she also warn you not to try and jump the gun?"

"What are you talking about?" I ask him.

"You can't consummate the relationship until after the wedding," he tells me.

"Why not?" I ask.

"I'm not entirely sure why, but you won't be able to even if you want to," he says.

"Who's going to stop us?"

"No one, everyone," he replies vaguely. "What ever Powers that be that created us have a very strict set of rules. You must marry the one you give your First Kiss to, you must wait a year and a day to have sex after that Kiss, you have to be married, and no premarital sex is allowed. You can hide away on a deserted island in the middle of the ocean with no one knowing where you are, and you still won't be able to have sex. I've heard some pretty amazing tales of couples who did try. But they always got stopped. Always. So save yourself the aggravation, and don't even try."

"Are these Powers that be the same ones who give me those blasted dreams?" I ask in frustration.

"Probably," he responds. "They do seem to have a sense of humor. All be it a sick sense of humor, but a sense of humor none the less."

"Great," I grumble.

I look at my watch and notice that we still have some time before we land; luckily the meal and movie take up a good chunk of that time. But afterwards, I can feel myself starting to drift off again, so I grab some things out of my bag and head for the lavatory. I try and get as cleaned up as possible in hopes that that will wake me up a little bit more. Luckily, shortly after I take my seat, the captain announces that we'll be landing about half an hour before we're scheduled to arrive. It seems we caught a tailwind all the way.


	10. Introductions

Some time later, Guillermo and I are in a cab headed to my house. I'm on the phone with Manning to let him know that we're here. I'm looking forward to a shower and some sleep.

"I think it would be best if you two came straight here," says Manning.

"I didn't think you were interested in my supposed prophesy," I tell him.

"Well, it seems that Abe's been doing some research, and he believes that there may be some cause for concern," he responds. I was hoping to give Guillermo a little bit more of a warning about whom he's about to meet, but it doesn't look like it's in the cards.

"Are you sure about this?" I ask.

"No," he answers. "But Abe is insisting, and I've already got one crazed freak on my hands. I don't need two."

I'm not particularly happy about him talking about Abe or Hellboy that way, but I'm too tired for a fight right now.

"Fine," I say. "We'll be there as soon as we can."

I hang up and then I lean forward and give the new address to the driver.

"We're not going to your home?" asks Guillermo. He's starting to look a bit rough around the edges and I realize that he's not the young man I remember from my youth.

"I'm afraid not," I reply. "It seems Manning wants you to start working with Abe as soon as possible."

"Since when do you start taking orders from anyone?" he inquires.

"Since I found out the world is going to come to an end on Sunday," I answer.

I have to wait half an hour before I can give Guillermo any information about who he's about to meet. Finally, we're at the front gate. We get out and I pay the driver. Just as I'm about to press the call button, the gate opens. There's a sedan waiting on the other side that I hadn't seen before. I must be really wiped out if I missed that. John gets out from behind the wheel and opens up the back door for us to get in. As we're getting in, I introduce John and Guillermo to each other. It's a quick trip to the front door and I don't really get a chance to say much. John drops us off and goes to park the car. I lead Guillermo inside and stop on the emblem on the floor which starts to descend almost immediately.

"There's something you need to know about Abe and HB," I start as we slowly descend.

"Such as?" he says.

"Well, for starters, HB stands for Hellboy," I tell him.

"Hellboy is real?" he asks excitedly.

"Yes," I respond. "And now about Abe…"

"I knew it!" he says, ignoring what else I have to say about Abe. "I'll have to make sure to take a lot of details for the archives."

"Uncle," I say. We're almost to the doors. "I really need to tell you about Abe."

"Is he really 8 feet tall?" he goes on, still ignoring what I'm trying to tell him.

"No," I answer. The platform stops and I can hear voices coming through the door. It sounds like Manning and Hellboy. "But I guess you're just going to have to see Abe for yourself."

"Yes, yes, dear," he says in an absent minded way as we cross to the doors. "When do you think I'll be able to meet Hellboy?"

"I'd say right about now," I tell him as I open the door and we're assaulted with Hellboy and Manning's argument.

"WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO FIND HER!" yells Manning.

"WELL, IT'S NOT ENOUGH!" Hellboy shouts back.

As we walk into the library, I can see that Abe is in his tank just on the other side of the glass from them.

"Gentlemen, I believe that help has arrived," says Abe, gracefully waving a hand in our direction.

Manning and Hellboy turn and look at him and then look at us. I see Abe head for the top of his tank. Guillermo is staring at Hellboy. I don't think he even saw Abe. I take him by the arm and pull him toward the others.

"Uncle," I say, "I'd like you to meet Dr. Tom Manning and Hellboy. Gentlemen, this is Guillermo Chavez, The Librarian."

As I finish the introductions, I see a flash of blue-green out of the corner of my eye. I barely have time to register this before I'm suddenly pushed against the glass of the tank. Then his lips are on mine, and nothing else matters. A short eternity later, we're interrupted by Manning again.

"IF you two don't mind," he growls.

We pull apart and I realize that Abe didn't bother drying off before coming downstairs. I'm soaked. I look over at the others. Manning is, of course, frowning; Guillermo looks like some one just slapped him with a mackerel and Hellboy can't seem to decide if should be scowling or laughing. John walks in, looks around, and is now trying to figure out what's going on. I turn to Guillermo.

"Uncle, this is Abraham Sapien," I say. "Abe, this is Guillermo Chavez. He has the book with the prophesy in it, but it hasn't been fully translated yet. I'm hoping the two of you can finish it."

"How do you do?" says Abe as he extends a hand to Guillermo.

Guillermo is standing there with his mouth hanging open. Then his brain seems to finally kick into gear. He takes Abe's offered hand and then he looks at me with a grin on his face.

"Does your grandmother know about this?" he asks.

"No," I reply.

"Can I be there when you tell her?" He and Grandmother have never really gotten along.

"No," I tell him. "Listen, gentlemen, I'm very tired and dirty and I want nothing more than to take a shower and go to bed right now, so if you don't mind…"

"Agent Myers," Manning interrupts, "please show Miss Cavendish a guest room."

"Yes, sir," says John. He comes over to me and picks up my bag. I hadn't even realized I had dropped it. I must have dropped it when Abe grabbed me.

I thank Manning as I leave. Then I follow John down several corridors before he opens a door to a rather sparsely decorated room. I take my bag and thank him as I step into the room. I find the bathroom, quickly shower, get dressed and crawl into bed. I'm asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.


	11. The Prophesy

I feel his hand caressing my arm and his lips kissing my cheek, ear, neck, any where they can reach. His body is pressed against my back, as I'm lying on my side. His hand travels down to my thigh and it starts exploring. I inhale sharply. It's just another dream, I think.

"Not this time, my love," Abe whispers in my ear.

I quickly open my eyes and crane my neck around to look behind me. There he is in bed with me, smiling. I squirm around to face him. In a matter of moments we're a jumble of exploring hands and tangled limbs. He's kissing me so deeply I almost can't breath. I'm not sure how he gets my shirt off so easily, but he does. The feeling of his bare skin against my own has my heart doing the four minute mile. I've got the zipper undone on his shorts, and I'm starting to do some exploring of my own.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

"Hey, Cavendish!" yells Hellboy through the door. I contemplate tying a knot in his tail. "You seen Abe?"

"No!" Abe yells back and goes back to kissing me, which is hard to do since I'm now quietly laughing.

"Well, if you do, let him know that Manning is looking for him," Hellboy calls through the door, barely containing his laughter. Then I hear him walk away. Ok, I won't tie a knot in his tail.

Abe sighs and pulls away. I feel like I'm going to explode. I desperately cling to him. I want him to stay so bad it hurts.

"I'm sorry, love," he says quietly. "Manning will be here soon, and it would better if I'm not here."

He gets up and I watch him put on his gear that he had taken off when he came in. He almost gets to the door before he realizes his shorts are unzipped. He looks down and then he looks at me.

"I didn't even feel you do that, you little sneak," he says smiling.

I smile back, hoping he'll come back to bed. He just shakes his head and then heads out the door after zipping up his shorts. I roll on my back and stare at the ceiling. I think how unfair it is and I want to cry. Twice now he's touched me and twice we've been interrupted. And then I remember what Guillermo told me on the plane: No premarital sex. Now I want to scream.

Instead, I drag my carcass out of bed and get dressed, putting my hair into a French braid. I open the door to find John with his hand raised like he's about to knock.

"Hey, good morning," he says.

"Good morning, John," I respond.

"Listen, I was headed for the cafeteria," he says. "Do you want to come with me and get something to eat?"

"Sure," I tell him. Before we can go, Manning walks up.

"Is Abe in there?" he demands, pointing toward the room I just left.

"I didn't see him as I was coming out," I respond. "But I didn't check under the bed, so you might want to look there."

I turn and follow John. We head down several more halls and end up in the cafeteria where I get coffee and a bagel. As I'm sitting and eating, I start thinking about Liz's disappearance.

"John, do you know if Liz just ran off or was taken by force?" I ask.

"She went out for a walk after Abe told them about the prophesy," he answers. "She was a bit upset. HB followed her from a distance. He was attacked and when he was done fighting off the demons, Liz was gone."

"Was there a sign of a struggle?"

"No, it was like she just disappeared."

"What demons attacked Hellboy?

"They were like the ones that chased you, when you first came here."

"John, can you show me Liz's room?"

"Uh, sure. Why?" he asks

"Because I'm going to try and find Liz, but I need something of hers," I answer, standing up.

John leads me to a room that looks like it could almost withstand a fire bomb. Shortly after we get there, he gets called off. What furniture that isn't fire proof, is at least fire resistant. The only thing that is out of place is the board covered in Polaroid pictures. There are a lot of Hellboy, a few of John, some more of Abe and several of an older gentleman with fly away white hair and a kind face. He reminds me of my grandfather. I look at them for a minute. I like the one of Hellboy lying flat on his back with a wet black kitten in his hand. I look in her closet and find a black pea coat. I "touch" it and it radiates with Liz's energy. I take it and head for the library.

Guillermo is pouring over a book, mumbling in Spanish and chewing on a pencil. He doesn't look up when I walk through, but that doesn't surprise me. I know he tunes everything out when he gets to working. Abe is in his tank. There are four music stands in front of the glass. On each stand is an open book. They all look extremely old. He looks at me and cocks his head.

"Good luck," he says.

"Thank you," I reply.

I go out the door to the platform, where I take it up to the lobby and then I head outside. Once outside, I look for an out of the way place to do my work. I finally find a spot at the base of a maple tree. I sit down in the dirt with the coat in my lap. I close my eyes and send "myself" out "looking" for Liz.

When I do this, I tend to lose all sense of time, so I'm not sure how long I'm gone. But the sun is much higher in the sky then it was when I first came out when I finally return. I'm hungry, tired and very disappointed.

I go back inside and head back to Liz's room. I put the coat away and when I turn around, Hellboy is standing there.

"What are you doing in here?" he growls.

"Putting away Liz's coat," I tell him.

"What were you doing with her coat?" he snarls.

"I was trying to use it to find her," I answer.

"And?" he prompts, hope starting to fill his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Hellboy," I say. "I wasn't able to find her."

He closes his eyes and sighs. His shoulders droop and his tail drags on the ground. I put my hand on his arm. It's amazing how warm he is.

"I really am sorry," I tell him quietly.

"Hey, at least you tried," he says in a defeated tone of voice. I feel sorry for him, but there really isn't anything more I can do. I leave him sitting on Liz's bed.

I head back to the room I slept in last night and gather up my stuff. I munch on one of the energy bars I got in Mexico and go looking for Manning. I finally find him in a storage room getting facial tissue and staples.

"Dr. Manning, I'm afraid that I'm not going to be much help here, so I'm going home," I say. "Please call me if Abe and Guillermo get anywhere on the book."

"Of course," he says.

I head back to the library and say my goodbyes to Guillermo and Abe. While saying goodbye to Guillermo is a lot drier than saying goodbye to Abe, it's not nearly as nice.

Within the hour, I'm walking through my front door. The next several days are spent getting back into my routine. I try to keep busy, but in the back of my mind I know that time is running out.

Sunday morning finds me taking care of all the animals by myself. Sunday is Helen's day off, so she and her family are enjoying sleeping in. I make sure all of the animals have food and water and that their various living areas are clean. I finally make my way to Magick's barn. I clean out his stall while he eats breakfast and then I give him a good cleaning as well. When I'm done, I put away the tools and saddle Magick up. We head out up to the lake near the house and spend the next few hours exploring the property. Afterwards, I turn him out into his paddock and head back up the hill.

I stand in my living room and look around. I realize that this isn't my home, it's just my house. Every piece of furniture has a function. There are no little knick knacks on the shelves, or artwork on the walls and the only photographs I have are ones of my parents and me just before they left for their cruise and their wedding pictures. I think of Liz's room and all of the pictures on her wall. I start feeling a little panicked. I haven't heard anything yet and it's already Sunday afternoon. I start trying to do chores, but I just can't seem to keep my mind on what I'm doing. I realize that I'm washing the same plate for about the third time when the phone finally rings. With a shaking hand, I answer it.

"Hello?"

"Miss Cavendish, it's Dr. Manning. Abe and Mr. Chavez are done."

"Thank you, Dr. Manning. I'll be there shortly."

I head out to the car and drive up to the BPRD. The sun has almost set. I get there in about half the time it would normally take. It seems that the trick I used with Magick on our wild ride a couple of weeks ago works even better with cars. I'm such a bundle of nerves at this point that I'm tripping over my own feet, but somehow I get down to the library without falling flat on my face.

I open the door and everyone seems to be here. Hellboy and Guillermo both look like they haven't had much sleep in the past several days. Abe is a paler blue than normal and I suspect that he probably hasn't slept much either. Manning, John and several other agents are here as well. They looked worried, but rested. Abe comes over to me, gently kisses me and then leads me over to where he and Guillermo have been working. I sit down in the chair Abe offers me.

"Well, now that everyone is here, perhaps you two can explain what this is all about," says Manning, staring at Abe and Guillermo.

"Certainly," says Abe. "It seems that tonight someone is going to try and open a portal to another dimension. He or she will use the power of a Mage with no Family to open this portal. The ritual will take place on an altar bathed in the blood of demons. It will happen at the height of the nearly new moon."

"So now we know the how and the when," says Guillermo. "But we don't know where. Our only clue is the altar. According to the book, it's made of bedrock pulled from the earth and bathed in the blood of demons."

Some people look at Hellboy.

"Hey, don't look at me," he says. "I haven't been bleeding on any altars."

I sit there and wonder. Will all of the work be for nothing? Is the world about to end because we can't figure out where the ritual will take place? Then a memory starts forming in the back of my mind.

"Does the book say how to stop the ritual?" asks Manning.

_The nearly full moon is just past its zenith and creatures of various sizes are coming out of the fissure and forest._

"Well, it can be prevented if we can find the place and get Liz back," says Abe. "However, once the ritual starts the only way to stop it is for the altar to be destroyed by the one who created it."

_A creature that looks like a cross between a baboon and a cat spots me. Letting out an unearthly shriek, it charges me. _ _I stand there stunned, and then, at the very last second, I swing the flashlight. By some miracle I actually make contact with the things skull, crushing it. _

"Well, that's just great," growls Hellboy. "How are we supposed to stop this thing? We have no idea where this slab of rock is. And how are we supposed to find the guy who created it?"

_Several more creatures notice me. Breaking off their attack on the others, they head for me. _

"I don't know," says Abe.

_In a state of near panic, I "pull" a large slab of bedrock toward me. It bursts out of the ground between me and them. Then I give it a "push" and it falls over onto the creatures, crushing them to death. _

"I do," I say quietly.


	12. Into the Fire

"SO YOU MADE THE ALTAR THAT LIZ IS ABOUT TO BE SACRAFICED ON!?" Hellboy yells after I inform everyone where the altar is. I can understand why he's upset, though I'm not thrilled with being yelled at. Air Mages tend to have sensitive hearing. Abe moves in between Hellboy and me and the other agents are starting to move out of their way.

"That's not fair, Red," says Abe in a calm voice. "She didn't know that it would be used as an altar."

"AND WHAT'S ABOUT TO HAPPEN TO LIZ IS FAIR!?" he yells back, balling both of his hands into fists.

"She didn't know," Abe states again, his voice a bit louder.

"THAT'S NO EXCUSE!"

"What was she supposed to do, Hellboy?" Abe's voice is getting even louder and I can see his hands shaking. I stand up. "Let those things rip her apart?"

"IF IT MENT THAT WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE WORLD COMING TO AN END, AND LIZ WOULD BE SAFE, THEN **YES**!"

"**THAT IS ENOUGH!**" I yell giving my voice a "boost." Even Hellboy jumps at the volume I've obtained. I walk around Abe and stare Hellboy in those baleful yellow eyes. "I am sorry that I created the altar, but I had no way of knowing what I was doing at the time. If I had known, then I would have found some other way to get away or died trying. All we can do now is try and stop this thing. We have more important things to be worried about then who's to blame for what." Hellboy lowers his eyes and stares at his boots. I turn to Manning who's pressed against the glass to Abe's tank. "Dr. Manning, the moon was just past the horizon when I got here, we have very little time to get to the site. I suggest that you get your men organized as quickly as possible. You'll need to find a more expedient way to get everyone there, since we won't be able to walk to it this time and time **is** of the essence. Also, I will be coming with you. If we don't manage to get there before the ritual starts, I'm the only one who will be able to stop it."

Manning nods and starts issuing orders to the other agents. The agents are gone in a few moments and all that are left are Hellboy, Abe, Guillermo and I. I can feel myself shaking, but I don't have time for a nervous break down.

"I'm coming with you," Guillermo says quietly.

"No your not," I reply without turning around.

"And why not?" he asks.

"Because I've already lost my parents and I don't want to lose you too," I answer. I turn and look at him and smile. "Besides, who else will give me away at my wedding?"

I can see Abe twitch at the mentioning of the wedding and Hellboy's head snaps up.

"Wedding?" Hellboy asks. He looks at Abe. "Is there something you want to tell me, old buddy?"

"Not particularly, no," Abe grumbles.

Guillermo gets up, comes over to me and gives me one of his wonderful bear hugs. I just hold on to him for several minutes, letting the tension that's built up in me run out. He finally lets go of me, steps back and looks down at me smiling.

"I will gladly give you away at your wedding," he says. "But I'm still going. And there's no way you can stop me."

I open my mouth to protest, but just he kisses me on the forehead and then walks out of the room. I just stare after him, not sure if I should go after him and lock him in a closet or not. But then I realize that there probably isn't a closet big enough for him that has a lock. Not that it would matter since there's never been a lock made that an Earth Mage couldn't unlock in a matter of seconds. Manning sticks his head into the room and looks at us.

"You three coming or not?" he demands.

"Yeah, yeah. Keep your shirt on, Manning," Hellboy says as he crosses the room and heads out the door.

A short time later, we're climbing into SUVs and 4X4 trucks. Hellboy and Abe are ushered into the back of the garbage truck and I turn to Manning who happens to be standing behind me.

"Don't worry," he answers my unasked question. "They'll be put into an SUV once we get there."

"Why not just let them ride in the SUV now and leave the truck here?" I ask.

"Because no matter how big they make SUVs, Hellboy is still too big for them to sit in comfortably," he tells me. "Besides, there's medical equipment in the back of the garbage truck. I have a feeling we're going to need it."

I have a bad feeling that he's right. I just sigh and get into the truck that I've been assigned to. Soon, we're on our way. It seems to take forever to get to the gate of the park, this time the ranger has already opened it for us. We get to the edge of the path and stop. Abe and Hellboy emerge from the back of the garbage truck and get into the largest of the SUVs. John is right behind them and gets behind the wheel of the SUV as Manning gets out.

We drive for about 20 minutes in single file, and just before we get to the deer track, we see our first demon. It looks like one of the ones that chased Magick and me. It spots us and attacks the lead truck, ripping the hood off of it. I can hear gunfire as the agents in the truck open fire. Agents start pouring out of the other trucks and are opening fire on other demons that are coming out of the woods attracted to the sounds. I get out and hang back. I "feel" around, and I find an opening around the demons. I look around and notice that everyone is busy shooting at demons. Then I see Guillermo, he's staring at the carnage with a look of shock on his face. I quickly go to him and grab his arm.

"Come on!" I yell at him over the gunfire and yelling. He blinks, shakes his head and then looks at me. He just nods and I lead him toward the opening I found.

Guillermo quickly figures out what I'm doing and helps me avoid the demons. We encounter one demon, but before it can attack a spear of rock comes out of the ground and skewers it through the chest. Just as quickly as the spear appeared, it disappears. I turn to Guillermo.

"You're going to have to teach me that trick," I say quietly. He smiles at me and we continue on.

As we get closer to the site, I can hear chanting. I get a sinking feeling in my stomach that we're to late to stop the ritual. Sure enough, when we get to the edge of the clearing, the ritual is in full swing.

Liz is lying unconscious on the altar with someone in a black robe standing over her. Her fire is already starting to burn and it's growing larger as we watch. I can't see the guys face because the hood of his robe is covering it. He's holding a sword in his black gloved hands over Liz's chest, point side down, and he's saying something in some language I've never heard before. There's a shimmer in the air above him. At first I think it's just heat waves from Liz, but then I realize that it's starting to take shape.

I look up and see that the moon is almost to its zenith. I reach out with my power and try to destroy the altar, but nothing happens. I "push" harder, but still, nothing happens. It's like my power is blocked. And then I notice that the altar is engulfed in flames. My way **is** blocked. The chanting continues.

In a circle surrounding the altar are thirteen people in brown robes. They are the ones chanting. I look at their faces and get a serious case of the willies. Their heads have all been shaved. Also, it looks like their eyelids have been glued shut and an upside down star has been branded on each eyelid.

Outside the circle are more demons milling about. I "feel" Guillermo starting to pull his power to him, and I'm not sure what he's about to do. Since I have no clue about what to do next, I add my power to his own. A moment later, a couple dozen stone spears come shooting out of the ground killing all of the brown robed people and many of the demons.

Instant pandemonium happens as the bodies fall to the ground. The black robed guy lets out an ear piercing shriek that makes me cover my ears. The remaining demons go crazy and start running in every direction including straight for us. Guillermo and I take off in opposite directions. I start trying to get closer to the altar. A demon heads for me. A hole opens up below it and immediately closes up as soon as it disappears. I can hear things crashing through the brush and a lot of shouting and gunfire.

I pull my power to me and gather up the wind. I keep gathering it until I can no longer contain it. Then I let it go in the direction of the altar. It blows the guy off of his feet and across the clearing. It pushes Liz mostly off of the altar and her fire starts to die down. I can see heat waves rising up from the stone as I run for the altar. Just before I can reach it, something lands on my back, knocking me to the ground.

Before I can react, I feel the sharp fangs sink into my shoulder and the claws tear into the flesh of my back cutting all the way down from my shoulder blades to my hips. I scream as the pain consumes every inch of my being. I hear gunfire, the thing loosens its grip and then falls lifeless on top of me. I scream again as it lands on top of my wounds. Then the thing is gone and I can hear someone yelling. I can't hear what they're saying and I don't try to figure it out. I can see that I'm almost to the altar. I reach out my hand and stretch despite the searing pain across my back. I finally am able to touch the stone with my finger tips and I send my power into it. The last thought I have is _that's hot_.

**Author's note**: The next chapter is going to be very long, so it's going to take a while to write. Please be patient.


	13. From Abe

**Author's note: **A couple of people have requested a chapter from Abe's point of view. I wasn't planning on writing one, but it seems Abe and Maggie had other plans. So, in case you haven't figured it out, here is Abe's chapter.

**CRACK!!!**

The altar stone shatters and Liz in now partially lying on a pile of rubble. Maggie is lying on the ground next to the altar, with one arm outstretched and she's not moving. I get to Maggie as fast as I can though there are still monsters running loose. A smaller demon jumps at me and latches itself onto my arm. I slam it into a nearby tree breaking its back.

I finally reach her and there's blood everywhere, her blood. I take off my jacket and carefully wrap her in it. The foam neoprene will hopefully slow the flow of blood. I'm glad she's unconscious so she can't feel any of this. I very gently lift her off the ground and then I start to run for the parking lot.

I manage to avoid a couple of demons and continue on my headlong flight. I can hear someone yelling behind me, but I ignore him. I also can hear something chasing me, so I run faster. I get to the trucks. I don't know how to drive, so I run past them. Whatever is chasing me stops shortly after I pass the vehicles.

A minute later, a truck pulls up behind me. I look over my shoulder. I can't see who's driving because of the headlights, but I touch Myers mind. I stop and get into the truck. Myers starts the truck moving before I even have the door all the way shut. He's panting and sweating and I can feel his worry for Maggie. He's to busy trying to keep the truck on the trail to say anything, for which I'm grateful. I can feel my gills moving faster than normal trying to absorb more oxygen out of the water in my respirator.

After a few more minutes of driving on the dirt, we reach the parking lot. After the wheels gain purchase on the asphalt, Myers floors it, launching us past Manning and the garbage truck. Once we're on the open road, Myers calls the bureau and tells them to have a medical team ready. They start asking questions about the injury, so he hands me the radio.

"There are four puncture wounds to the right shoulder," I tell them. I try to concentrate on the wounds and not the wounded. "There are also several lacerations on the back from the scapula to the pelvis region. There has been severe blood loss. The patient is unconscious."

They confirm what I've told them and then sign off. I drop the radio and hold her closer. I telepathically tell her to live, that I need her to live. Myers drives faster.

After what seems to be a million years, we finally reach the gates of the bureau, which automatically open just before we reach them. Myers doesn't slow down until he sees the medical team waiting for us in the garage. Then he slams on the brakes causing the truck to fishtail. I'll yell at him later for that boneheaded maneuver, but right now I need to concentrate on Maggie.

Someone opens up the passenger door and I hand Maggie to them. I get out and start following the gurney that's quickly heading down the hall. A couple members of the medical staff are trying to stop me. They keep trying to grab my arm and I keep trying to get past them. Suddenly, someone grabs me from behind, pinning my arms to my side. It's Myers. I start struggling with him.

"ABE!" Myers yells. "HOLD STILL AND LET THEM LOOK AT YOU!"

"NO!" I yell back. "MAGGIE NEEDS ME!"

Just then I feel a needle get jabbed into my shoulder and a burning sensation as something is injected into me. I fight even harder, but soon my vision gets blurred and I can't concentrate. Myers lets me go, and I slowly sink to the floor.

"Maggie," is the last thing I manage to say before I lose consciousness.

I wake up disoriented and groggy. I try to swim to clear my head, but I run into the glass. I turn and go in the opposite direction and run into the wall. I try and get my eyes to focus on my surroundings and I realize that I'm in the medical tank. I try to move my arms to reposition myself and discover that one of my arms is incased in the device that aids in the healing process. I try and remember when my arm got injured. Then I remember the demon that attacked me before I was able to reach Maggie.

"Welcome back, Blue," I hear. I turn toward the front of the tank and see Hellboy. His shirt is off and he's sporting several bandages across his arm and torso. He's leaning against the table in the middle of the room.

"How long have I been asleep?" I ask.

"A few of hours," he says. "And to head off the next question, she's alive. She just came out of surgery a little while ago. They say she's stable, but she's still in critical condition. The next twenty-four hours are the most crucial. She lost a lot of blood. They've already pumped three pints of blood into her."

"When did you start using such big words?" I tease, flipping upside down.

"I haven't," he growls. "I'm just telling you what they told me."

Before I get to depressed, I decide to change the subject.

"How's Liz?"

"She's fine," he says. "She's with Manning getting debriefed."

"How many did we lose?" I ask quietly, not really wanting the answer.

"Two," he tells me. "There are a lot of injuries, mostly cuts and broken bones. Guillermo's leg got pretty badly mauled. He may lose it. Myers has a dislocated shoulder."

"He drove with a dislocated shoulder? I'm impressed," I say.

"Don't be," he replies. "You dislocated it."

"When did I…?"

"When you guys came back," he answers me before I can finish asking the question.

I vaguely remember the struggle I had with Myers. I flip back over and sink to the bottom of the tank.

Myers walks in pushing a cart with pancakes, bacon and a bowl of rotten eggs. He's having a little bit of a hard time maneuvering the thing since one of his arms is in a sling. Hellboy goes over and helps him unload most of the cart onto the table. While Hellboy starts' eating his breakfast, Myers pushes the cart over to the tank with the eggs. I push myself up to Myers eye level.

"I'm sorry," I tell him. "I never meant to…"

"Hey, it's alright," he interrupts, not quite looking me in the eye. "Getting hurt comes with the job."

"Getting hurt by monsters, not by your co-workers," I tell him.

"You were understandably upset," he says as he starts dropping eggs into the feeding chute. "She'll be alright. The doctors say she's young, strong and healthy. That's three points in her favor."

I'm not sure what to say to this, so I start eating my breakfast. As Myers leaves, Dr. Jones walks in looking at a chart. He's an older gentleman. What's left of his hair is short and white. He stops in front of the tank and looks up at me over his glasses.

"Good morning, Abe," he says. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm still feeling a bit groggy, but that's probably just from the tranquilizer I was given," I answer. "My arm hurts but I can move my fingers."

"Sorry about the tranquilizer," he replies. "We had no choice since you wouldn't hold still, and you were bleeding rather profusely. We put in twenty-three stitches. Luckily there was no serious damage done."

"When can I get out of here?" I ask.

"In a few days," he answers. "We need to give your arm time to heal before we can let you go back to your tank."

"I'd like to see, Miss Cavendish," I tell him.

"You'll just have wait until you get out of here," he says. "We can't move your tank, and moving her is out of the question. Her condition is too delicate."

"I understand," I say quietly as I sink back to the bottom of the tank. An uneaten egg lies in my hand. I'm suddenly not very hungry, so I just sit there staring at it. I realize I haven't told Maggie what my favorite food is.

The next few days pass excruciatingly slowly. I get visits from Liz and Hellboy on a regular basis. Myers comes in with my meals. Manning comes in to get my report. Dr. Jones comes in every once and a while to check on me. I spend the rest of my time playing with my Rubik's cube and reading. Of course, reading is a bit difficult if there's no one there to turn the pages for me. I did get another side done on my cube, but I had to ruin one of my completed sides to do it. Most of the time, I spend thinking about Maggie and remembering.

I remember when she first walked into the library. It still amazes me that she thought I was beautiful and that her opinion didn't change even after she learned I wasn't just a big fish. I remember how she wore her composure like a suit of armor. I remember her stopping Red from lighting his cigar. The look on his face was priceless. I wish Liz could have been there with her camera.

I remember how she convinced Manning that her powers were real. They still haven't replaced that table.

I remember how she fell into my arms after she closed the fissure. It was the first time she had killed. She'd never intentionally hurt another living thing in all of her life. It shook her to the core of her being.

I remember the look on her face when she saw that I could get close to Magick. That was another Polaroid moment.

I remember our first kiss. I remember the feeling of her hair in my hands and how it felt against the webbing between my fingers. I remember her taste, her smell. I remember her confusion and fear. I never realized that one kiss could mean so much.

I remember the dreams I had after she left. They were very…intense. I remember the pain I thought I caused her.

I remember being dragged out of my tank and being forced to go on a mission I didn't want to be on. I remember hearing her voice and feeling the touch of her hand on my arm. I thought it was a dream until she apologized. I remember opening my eyes and seeing a goddess.

I remember her soaking her feet in my tank. I remember finding out about her grandmother's plans. I remember not wanting to wait nearly a year to have her. I remember her response.

I remember her leaving to find the answer to a half remembered prophesy. I remember the very intense dream I had that night. Foam neoprene doesn't stretch.

I remember her introducing me to Guillermo. A man she loved like an uncle, even though he was not related to her.

I remember leaving the library after Guillermo fell asleep while trying to translate the book. I went looking for her and I found her asleep. I remember waking her up and her reaction. I remember the feeling of her skin on my own. I still don't remember how I got that shirt off of her though.

I remember her feeling of guilt when she realized that she created the altar. I remember her facing Hellboy down.

I remember the feeling of fear I had when I heard the first scream during battle. I remember the relief I felt when I realized that it wasn't hers. I remember seeing the demon jump her from behind and knock her to the ground. I remember her scream of pain. I remember shooting it and kicking it off of her. I remember being attacked and pushed away from her. I remember the fear of seeing her lying there, bleeding.

I remember.

Finally, Dr. Jones gives me the all clear to return to my tank. But instead of heading there, I go looking for Maggie. I find her in the ICU, which isn't to surprising. Her condition is still considered serious. She's lying on her stomach, asleep. The bandages completely cover her right shoulder and the ones on her torso go from her arm pits down to her hips. She's very pale and there's blood dried in her hair. I go to the far side of the bed and I sit down in the chair there, since that's the way she's facing. There's an IV in her arm and I can hear the heart monitor beeping.

"Maggie," I call quietly, taking her undamaged hand in mine. "Maggie, are you awake?"

She doesn't respond. Dr. Evans walks in.

"Magpie, please wake up."

She still doesn't respond. I had hoped that by using the pet name her father used for her might get a reaction. It did the last time I used it.

"She won't respond," says Dr. Evans. "She's in a drug induced coma."

"Why?" I ask without looking up.

"We're afraid that if she wakes up right now, she'll go into shock from the pain," is the response. "And that is something that she really doesn't need."

"How long are you going to leave her like this?"

"Possibly another day. Two tops," she responds as she checks the read outs from the monitors. She writes something on Maggie's chart. "We don't want to leave her in that condition for fear brain damage may occur. It's been a while since her last dosage, so the nurse should be coming in to give her the next dose soon."

"Thank you."

As Dr. Evans leaves, I think about what books I want to get from the library. Hellboy comes charging in. He grabs the TV remote laying on a table and turns on the set, quickly scanning the channels.

"I don't think she's in any condition to watch television, Red," I tell him.

"I'm not turning it on for her," he says as he finds the station he wants.

There's a news program on. It's showing a picture of Maggie and the news anchor is talking about her disappearance from her home a few days ago. There is no sign of forced entry and her car is gone. There's a clip of reporters trying to talk to an elderly woman with white hair, who is obviously distraught. The caption at the bottom of the picture says, "Susan Cavendish – Grandmother." The end of the report states that the FBI have been called into help. Hellboy turns off the set and then turns to look at me.

"Has Manning seen this?" I ask.

"Yeah," he answers. "He saw it last night. He's planning on bring her in. And he wants us to make ourselves scarce when he does."

"Why is he bringing her in?" I ask.

"Because this woman is bossier than your girlfriend," he says. "When he tried to get her to call off the search, she demanded to know why. He tried to tell her some story about Cavendish being away on a mission for the government, but Granny saw right through that lie. She threatened lawsuits and reporters galore if he didn't produce her granddaughter. And since she can't be moved, he's bringing the old biddy here."

"When will they be here?" I finally get to see her, and I don't want to leave.

"Soon, he called a little while ago," he says quietly. "We need to leave now."

"No," I tell him. "I finally get to see her. I'm here less than five minutes and now I'm being told I have to leave."

"We have to," he responds. "I know how you feel, Blue. I'd be madder than a wet hen if I had to leave Liz in this state. But we have to go now."

Before I can respond, I hear footsteps and voices down the hall. I look at Red and give him a small smile.

"To late," I say.

A few moments later, Manning and the lady from the news clip walk in. Manning looks like he's about to blow a gasket and the woman turns whiter than her hair.

"Dr. Manning, what are these **things** doing in my granddaughter's room?" she demands turning to him.

"Hey!" snarls Hellboy. "I'm not a thing. I have a name."

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Cavendish," Manning stammers. "They were just leaving."

"No, I'm not," I say quietly. I look at Maggie. I thought I felt her hand twitch.

"And, **what**, precisely, are you?" she demands.

"Icthyo Sapien," I answer, looking up at her. The twitch must have been my imagination. "But my friends call me Abe."

I didn't think she could go any whiter, but she does.

"Not Abe Sapien?" she barely whispers. I nod. "How dare you!? Where do you get off kissing my granddaughter?"

Before I can answer I hear, "Leave him alone, Grandmother."


	14. Darkness

Darkness.

Am I dead?

I can't see. I can't feel. I can't taste. I can't smell. I can't hear?

_Maggie. Maggie, are you awake?_

I recognize the voice. It's someone I love. But who?

_Magpie, please wake up._

Daddy? But he's dead. If not Daddy, then who is calling me?

Pain. I'm starting to feel pain. I must be alive. Dead people don't feel pain.

I hear more voices. It's the voice that was calling me and someone else. They're men's voices. I know them, but how? That's odd, I hear beeping.

I can smell now. I smell chemicals. The kind they use to sterilize things. I smell the ocean.

I'm feeling more pain. I hurt. I can feel my lungs expand and contract. I can feel my heart beating. I try and concentrate on those. They don't hurt.

I hear more talking. There's a woman's voice now. I know her. Grandmother? The beeping seems to be getting faster.

I can taste. There's a sour taste in my mouth.

There's more pain now. Someone is holding my hand. I try and squeeze it.

I hear the first voice again. It's Abe. Grandmother is talking again. She's being rude to Abe. Stop it. I love him. The beeping is definitely getting faster. She's being mean to Abe now. I won't allow it.

"Leave him alone, Grandmother."

Did I say that?

I open my eyes. Everything is blurry. There's a blue blur next to me. That must be Abe. I see a red blur, too. Hellboy. That has to be Hellboy. That, or there's a self propelled brick wall walking around. There's a couple of other blurs, but I can't tell who they are.

The pain is really starting to get to me. It's making it hard to breathe. My heart is starting to beat faster.

That beeping is starting to get annoying now. I hear people yelling. They're yelling something about a nurse and medication. I hear feet running. The beeping is going as fast as my heart.

I close my eyes. The pain has become too much to bear. Everything hurts. The pain is searing every nerve of my body. I can't breath. My chest hurts. I can't take the pain.

_Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee_

Darkness.


	15. Back to Abe

_Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee_

"SHIT!" I yell.

"What's happened?" Cavendish starts yelling. "What have you done to my granddaughter?"

"She's flat lined," I yell back. I grab Maggie and manage to flip her onto her back in one try. "Manning, get some one in here NOW!"

Manning takes off running. I start to perform CPR. Cavendish comes over and starts pulling on my arm.

"What do you think you're doing?" she screeches. "Get off of her!"

"Hellboy, get her out of here!" I yell as I shake her off.

"I'm on it," he says. He picks Cavendish up and carries her out of the room, kicking and screaming all the way. At least he was nice enough to use his left arm to remove her. I wouldn't have been.

I continue to try and get Maggie's heart beating again. What seems like a lifetime latter, the medical team arrives and takes over. I stand out of the way and watch. They get the defibulator and shock her heart back to life. I watch as they stabilize her and give her medications to deal with the pain. I see Manning standing in the doorway. Dr. Evans spots both of us.

"Out!" she orders. I want to stay, but from the look on her face, she'll probably turn me into fish fillet if I don't leave. I head for the library.

I walk into the library and find Cavendish there. She's fuming. Hellboy is near the door that I've just come through. He's making sure she doesn't try and go back.

"YOU!" she screams, pointing a finger at me. "What did you do to her?"

"Nothing," I reply. I'm not in the mood to talk right now, so I head upstairs.

I finally get back into my tank and sink to the bottom. I've never been so scared in all my life. I've faced some pretty nasty things in my life, but none of them have ever scared me like this. There is nothing worse than facing the fact that someone you love could die. That in fact, she was dead for two minutes. Give me the boogie man any day.

I can hear Cavendish demanding to see Maggie. I hear Hellboy tell her no. I'm impressed how calm he's being. I touch his mind. He's actually finding all of this very funny. He has a strange sense of humor. A short time later I hear Manning come in. He's busy trying to calm Cavendish down when Liz walks in followed shortly by Dr. Evans. I swim up to the glass.

"I want to see my granddaughter right now," Cavendish demands.

"I'm sorry, but you can't," says Dr. Evans in a calm voice. Her voice may be calm, but her mind isn't. In a flash, I get most of what happened.

"Dr. Evans, what happened?" asks Manning before Cavendish can start trying to bully her way past the doctor.

"Well, it seems that Mr. Chavez was making quite the fuss," she answers. "He was demanding to see Miss Cavendish. Somehow he knew that Mrs. Cavendish was here and he said he wanted to be there."

"Be there for what?" asks Manning.

"I don't know," she replies. "But because he was trying to get out of bed, the nurse was forced to restrain him. This caused her to miss giving Miss Cavendish her next dose of medication. That, in turn, allowed her to come out of her drug induced coma. As I had feared, when she woke up, the pain was too much for her to take and she went into cardiac arrest. We've stabilized her, but she's in critical condition again. She's to have no visitors until I say so."

"But…" Cavendish starts.

"No 'buts'" Dr. Evans says sternly. "You people nearly killed her once. I'm not giving you a second chance. I'm putting guards on her door to deter any visitors."

"Doctor," I start.

"I'm sorry, Abe," she says, turning toward me. "This includes you. I know how much you care for her, but she needs rest now."

"That isn't what I was going to ask," I say. "Will she be all right?"

"I don't know," she says sadly, shaking her head. "The next few days will be most critical." She leaves and there is silence in the room.

"Who is this Mr. Chavez?" Cavendish asks. She's finally managed to regain her composure. She already knows the answer to her question.

"Guillermo Chavez," says Manning. "Your granddaughter brought him here to help us with some research."

The images and thoughts that I get bombarded with are so strong that I push away from the glass and swim half way across my tank.

"You ok, Blue?" asks Liz.

I come back toward the window. Everyone is looking at me. Cavendish is glaring at me.

"You don't like him," I say to her.

"Why do you say that?" she retorts with a haughty tone.

"He introduced Maggie's father to her mother," I tell her. The look of shock on her face is actually a bit satisfying.

"How did you know that?" she demands.

"Abe's telepathic," answers Hellboy. This time the look she gives me is a barely concealed mixture of fear and hate.

"She wasn't worthy of him," she sniffs. She then turns to Manning. "Since I am unable to see my granddaughter, I will be leaving. I expect you to call me the instant I can see her."

With that she marches out of the library through the gold doors with Manning in her wake.

"If you're ending up with her as a grandmother-in-law, you have my sympathies, Abe," laughs Hellboy. I can see my skin getting bluer.

"Grandmother-in-law?" asks Liz turning toward Hellboy. "What are you talking about?"

"Why don't you ask Abe?" he says, pointing toward me. "It's his wedding."

I sink back to the bottom of my tank and wait for them to leave. I can hear Liz berate Red for teasing me and making fun of weddings in general. Then I hear her storm out.

"What do you suppose that was all about?" asks Hellboy.

"She wants to get married," I simply tell him from where I am.

That statement pretty much freezes all brain activity in him for a while. I felt the same way when Maggie tried to tell me of her grandmother's plans. After a while I hear him leave. I start swimming, trying to straighten out my own thoughts.

I want to talk to someone. But I don't feel like taking a ribbing from Red again. Liz is a bit upset right now and not really in a good frame of mind. Myers, I still feel guilty about his shoulder. Manning, I don't think so. Then I remember someone I can talk to.

I emerge from my tank and get dressed. Then I head for the medical wing. As I walk past ICU, I see that Dr. Evans was true to her word. There are now a couple of agents guarding Maggie's door. I walk past and find the room I'm looking for.

"Hola, Guillermo," I say, gently knocking on the door jam. Guillermo looks up from the magazine he is reading and smiles. His leg is up in traction and is heavily bandaged.

"Hola, Abe," he replies. "Please come in and sit down. Not to complain, but you are my first visitor. I thought everyone had forgotten me."

"Sorry," I tell him, taking the seat next to his bed. "The doctor only released me a few hours ago myself."

"Yes, I know," he answers. Then his feelings of guilt come through loud and clear.

"Guillermo," I start.

"It's my fault she almost died," he says quietly, tears start forming in his eyes. "If I hadn't been so stupidly selfish the nurse would have been there to give her the medicine and Maggie wouldn't have…"

The tears start to silently roll down his cheeks. I wait patiently. He finally manages to regain his composure after a few minutes.

"Why were you so determined to see her?" I ask.

"I had heard that you had been released," he answers. "I knew that the first place you'd go would be to her. And that was all well and good. I had no intention of interrupting you. But then I "felt" that old harpy step onto the grounds here and I wanted to see her reaction to meeting you. I was so bound and determined to be there for it, I never stopped to think about the damage I could do."

"Why does she hate you for introducing Maggie's parents to each other?" I ask.

"Oh, you know about that, do you?" he replies. "Well, I used to teach at UCLA in the biology department. Maggie's mother, Selma, and her father, Rupert, were both first year students and both just happened to take my human biology course. Since Selma was a biology major and Rupert was struggling with the class, I got her to be his study buddy. I had no idea that they would fall in love. But do you think that old bat will believe that?"

"Why did she dislike Selma?"

"Because Selma was an Earth Mage," he responds. "I didn't know Rupert was an Air Mage, and by all rights they should have hated each others guts since Earth and Air are opposites. But they didn't, they fell in love instead. Then they Kissed, were wed a year and a day later, and had Maggie nine months after that. The funny thing is, that neither one knew that they were both Mages until Rupert's father met Selma."

"How did you know she was an Earth Mage?"

"Her family and mine had been friends for years. Here's something you should know. Only certain Mages have the ability to spot the power of another Mage. Another Mage could walk in right now, and I wouldn't know it because I can't 'see' it. Maggie is one of those Mages who can, as was her grandfather. When he saw what Selma was, all hell broke loose. If Rupert hadn't been their only son, they would have disowned him on the spot. As it was, their relationship was never the same again."

"So, how did you know that Mrs. Cavendish had come here if you can't spot another Mage?"

"Once you meet someone you never truly forget them. And in the case of Earth Mages, everyone has a slightly different energy signature, Mage and non Mage. It's sort of like finger prints; no two are exactly the same. I think it has to do with the fact that all people are earth bound. You on the other hand, don't have a signature. I think it's because you're actually water bound that I can't 'feel' you even though you're sitting right there."

"Speaking of weddings…" I start.

"You know, I have no idea what she's going to do about that. Attila the Hun's been planning for this wedding for over thirteen years. If she goes through with it, she'll have to explain you to everyone. If she cancels it, she'll have to come up with an excuse why. Either way, she ends up with egg on her face. I can't wait to see which one she chooses."

I just smile. I spend the next several days visiting Guillermo. I also ask Liz for some help with a project I want to do. She's happy to comply. Between the two, I manage to keep busy, though I never quite forget about the life barely hanging on in ICU. Five days after Mrs. Cavendish's visit, Guillermo and I are in his room playing chess. I'm pondering my next move when Dr. Evans sticks her head in the door.

"Abe?"

"Hmm?"

"She's asking for you."

It only takes me a second to realize who she means.


	16. Decisions

I woke up a couple of hours ago. After being poked and prodded by the doctor and nurse, they finally gave me something for the pain. Now I can sit up with the bed raised without wanting to scream. Though just about everything still aches, at least I'm now awake and I've had some broth. They refuse to give me anything but clear liquids yet. And I've at least managed to brush the sweater off of my teeth as well. Now I'm waiting.

Soon I hear bare feet running across the tile floor. I've always thought of him as being extremely graceful, him crashing through the door into my room kind of ruins that mental image. He comes in full tilt and stops just short of the bed and stops moving. I can tell he's afraid to touch me. I hold my hands up to him. He gently takes them and I pull him toward me. He comes closer, but just stands there next to the bed. I look up at him.

"Don't make me come up there," I say smiling.

Abe bends over and gently kisses me. He starts pulling away. But before he can get too far, I grab the back of his head and pull him back down. After a while, my arms give out and I have to let him go. He sits down in the chair next to the bed and holds my hand. I try pulling his gloves off of him. I want to feel his skin, not the leather of his gloves. He takes them off for me and we just sit there holding hands. I'm happy just to sit there and not talk. I lean back and sigh. A few minutes later, Manning comes in.

"Miss Cavendish, you're grandmother has been informed that you are awake," he says. "She'll be here shortly. Abe, I think it best if you are not here."

"No," I tell him, tightening my hold on Abe's hand. "My grandmother needs to know about him."

"She already knows," Abe replies quietly. "We met last week when you…"

"When I what?" I ask him. He won't look at me; he just stares at my hand. I look up at Manning. "Dr. Manning what happened last week?"

"You died," he says simply. "You went into cardiac arrest and had to be revived. Abe, you really should leave."

"He's not leaving," I repeat. "I'm not sure what caused me to have a heart attack last time, but I'm not facing my grandmother without him."

"Miss Cavendish, I don't think…" he starts.

"It's my decision," I interrupt. "He stays."

"Very well," says Manning. He doesn't look to happy as he turns and goes.

"I really should leave," Abe says quietly.

"Obviously you need your hearing checked," I tell him. "I want you here with me. Right now I don't think I can face my grandmother alone. She tends to ride rough shod over everything that she doesn't agree with. And if she has already met you, that means I'm going to be put over the grill again about you. I don't have the strength to do it alone, my love. I need you here."

I pull his hand to my lips and kiss it. He looks at me and silently nods.

"Thank you," I say quietly. "What happened when you two met?"

He tells me everything that happened last week. I sit quietly and listen. When he's done we sit in silence for a minute.

"I remember a lot of pain," I start. "I remember hearing you call my name. I heard Grandmother being mean to you. I tried to stop it, but the pain was too much. I thought it was a dream."

I can feel his hand shaking in mine. I reach over and pull him toward me. The respirator is in the way, but I work around it until I'm holding him. I don't let go until he stops shaking. I let go and he sits back down. And then I "feel" Grandmother approaching.

"She's here," I inform him. I'm starting to get tired, but I know that it's best to just get this over with. A minute later, I can hear her shoes clicking across the tile. A few moments later, she walks into my room with an overnight bag slung over her shoulder. She sees Abe and stops dead in her tracks.

"What is that **thing** doing in here?" she asks rudely.

"Abe is not a thing, Grandmother," I answer.

"I don't care," she states. "I want it out of here this minute."

"Abe is a he, Grandmother," I respond. "And he's staying."

"It most certainly is not," she replies haughtily.

"I find it very odd, Grandmother, that you would treat Abe this way," I tell her. "After all, you're the one planning my marriage to him."

"You are most certainly not marrying that **thing," **she retorts.

"Aren't I supposed to marry the first man I Kiss?" I ask her.

"You are, child. But that's not a man," she answers pointing a finger at Abe.

"He's definitely not normal, I'll grant you that," I say. "But that doesn't make him any less of a man then the next guy."

"Now be reasonable, Peggy Sue," Grandmother starts.

"Do **NOT** call me that," I reply hotly. There's a slight earthquake. I take a deep breath and regain my composure. "Abe is staying. We've Kissed. It's as simple as that Grandmother. No amount of foot stomping and name calling is going to change that. At this point, the ball is in your court. **You** must decide how you want to deal with this."

"Well, it couldn't have been a real Kiss," she says in a superior attitude. "So we'll just postpone the wedding until you have you're real First Kiss."

"How do you know it wasn't a real Kiss?" I ask barely able to control my anger.

"Because, child, how could it possibly have been a real Kiss with a fish?" she replies with the attitude of someone who's won.

"Then how do explain the dreams I've been having?" I ask her. "How do you explain that every time we tried going beyond simply kissing, we've been interrupted?"

She stands there for a good minute opening and shutting her mouth, not sure how to respond. It's very satisfying to see her speechless. Finally, her brain clicks into gear.

"I am getting you out of here," she says. "Obviously this place has muddled your brain. We'll get you set up in a real hospital where they can take good care of you. Then you can stop all of this nonsense about marrying a walking fish."

"The marriage thing was your idea, not mine, Grandmother," I reply. "And I'm not leaving. Not until the doctor says I'm ready to leave, at least."

"You are obviously not in your right mind, girl," she comes back. "I have to get you out of here for your own good."

She turns to go, but a sudden gust of wind slams the door shut. She stands there for a moment, flabbergasted. That little stunt cost me, but it was worth it.

"Grandmother, I am not leaving," I tell her. "The wedding was your idea, not mine. If you insist on going through with it, then you might as well get used to the idea that it's Abe whom I'm going to marry."

"You can't marry a fish," she says quietly. "You just can't."

"Why?" I ask her angrily. "Because it won't look good on the society page? Have you ever, for one moment, stopped to think about what I might want, Grandmother?"

She partially turns around and looks at me. She actually looks confused, like she just doesn't know what to do.

"I've only wanted what was best for you," she answers quietly. I can see tears starting to form in her eyes. "I'll call the wedding off, if that's what you want."

"I think that would be best for now," I say. "Let us make the decision, please."

She turns to go. As she reaches for the door, the overnight bag slides off of her shoulder. She takes it into her hands and brings it to me.

"Here, Helen packed this for you," she says.

Letting go of Abe, I grab her arms and pull her toward me. I hug her for as long as I can. When I finally let go, there are tears rolling down both of our cheeks.

"I do love you, Grandmother," I tell her. "I just need to live my own life. Okay?"

"Okay," she says giving me a small smile. She gets a handkerchief out of her purse and tries to do damage control with her makeup. "I'd like to come back tomorrow and visit, if that's alright. Maybe we could start over?"

"I'd like that," I reply. She turns and leaves. I feel exhausted, but relieved. It's like a heavy weight has been lifted off of my chest. Abe reaches up and starts wiping the tears off of my face. I grab the hand and kiss it.

"Thank you for staying," I tell him giving him a small smile. "I don't think I could have done that alone."

"You're welcome," he says quietly. He takes my face in his hands and kisses me deeply. When we finally part, he asks me, "So, what did Helen pack for you?"

I had totally forgotten about the bag sitting on my lap. I open it up and start investigating. I pull out basic toiletries and a change of clothes. On the bottom I see something made of a shimmering material. I reach in and start to pull it out. When I realize what it is, I quickly try to put it back in, but Abe's to fast. He grabs it and pulls out the blue green night gown my grandmother bought me. He holds it up and looks at me smiling.

"I can't wait to see you in this," he says.


	17. The Question

"Give me that, you beast," I cry making a grab for the night gown, and nearly falling out of bed doing so. He pulls the night gown out of my reach and hides it behind his back with one hand, while he grabs me with the other, gently pushing me back into bed. I hold onto his arm, shaking and gasping. That little stunt reminds me that I'm not fully healed yet. He drops the night gown on my lap. He then reaches over to the call button and pushes it.

"I've called the nurse," he says quietly in my ear. I just nod. The pain is starting to get to me. The nurse walks in a moment later. "She's in pain. Can she please have something?"

"Let me get the doctor," she responds and then leaves. A little while later, Dr. Evans walks in.

"How are you feeling?" she asks.

"I hurt," is all I can manage to answer. She comes over and examines my back and shoulder.

"You need to take it more slowly," she tells me. "You're skin is only just healed, but there's still the internal damage and bruising that needs to heal as well. I think it's time you got some rest. Abe, I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"Please, let him stay," I plead. "I'll lie quietly and be good."

"All right," she says. "But no hanky panky, you two, or out he goes."

All I can manage is a nod. She leaves and comes back a couple of minutes later carrying a syringe. She injects the medicine into the IV in the back of my hand. I can feel the medicine burn and I give an involuntary hiss from the pain. Abe puts the bed back into a horizontal position and I try to find a comfortable position. I finally find a spot on my left side that hurts less than the other positions. Abe sits next to me and holds my hand with one of his and strokes my hair with the other as the medicine does its job. My last conscious thought is how lucky I am to have him love me.

Some time later, I'm woken up by someone moving around my bed. I look up and see it's the nurse changing my bag of fluids.

"Good morning," she says in a voice that's way too cheery.

"Hi," I manage to reply.

"How are you feeling?" she asks. She's still being cheery, darn her.

"Sore," I answer. I roll over with a groan and sit up "Is there any chance of me being able to take a shower today?" 

"That's for the doctor to decide," she answers. "She should be in in a couple of minutes. She was checking on Mr. Chavez when I came in here."

"Guillermo Chavez?" I ask. I can feel my heart sinking to the vicinity of my knees. She nods. "How badly was he hurt?"

"His leg was pretty badly damaged, and the doctor wasn't sure whether or not he was going to lose it, but it looks like he will get to keep it. He'll have to walk with a cane for the rest of his life though," she says as she leaves.

I feel guilty. I dragged him all of the way up here and now he's going to have to walk with a cane for the rest of his life. In fact, he could have lost his life because of me. I should have found a way to stop him. I lie down and curl up into a ball, ignoring the pain it causes my back, as the guilt starts to eat a hole in my stomach.

"Stop that!"

I look up to see Abe standing in the doorway.

"But it's my fault…" I start.

"No it's not," he says. He enters the room and sits down next to me. "He knew there was going to be danger. He knew that there were risks involved. He chose to go of his own free will."

"But I'm the one who dragged him all the way up here," I retort.

"And if you hadn't, Liz would be dead and the world would have ended over a week ago," he responds. "Besides, it's bad enough to have to deal with his guilt. I don't want to have to deal with yours too."

"What does he have to feel guilty about?" I sulk. Abe sighs and looks away. I pick my head up off the pillow and look at him. "Abe?"

"He's part of the reason why you died," he answers quietly.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

"He felt your grandmother heading this way last week," he starts. "He knew that I would be in your room. He wanted…"

"…to see her reaction to you," I finish. He just nods. "But I don't see how that caused me to die."

"The nurse was so busy trying to restrain him that she was unable to come and give you your next dosage," he responds.

"Oh," is all I can manage to say. This news has left me pretty stunned. It seems Abe left this part out of his little narration yesterday.

"Good morning," says Dr. Evans as she walks into the room.

"Good morning, doctor," I answer.

"The nurse just told me you were awake and wanted to take a shower," she tells me. "I think that would be a good idea, but let's get this latest bag of fluids into you and get you some breakfast as well."

"I'm not having broth again, am I?" I ask.

"No, porridge and watered down juice," she answers.

"Can I have some coffee at least?"

"No, it's to acidic for your stomach right now."

I groan my disappointment. She chuckles as she comes over to me.

"Ok, let me have a look at you," she says. I sit up and she opens the back of my gown letting it fall off of my shoulders. I catch it before it falls too far. "Well, you're definitely looking better. I wouldn't plan on wearing anything backless or that's off the shoulder for a long time though."

While she examines me, Abe reaches over and touches a sore red spot on one side of my chest. I hadn't really noticed it before. I also see that it has a twin on the other side of my chest.

"What are those from?" I ask.

Dr. Evans looks around at my chest and says, "Those are from the defibulator. The marks should go away in a few more days."

She pulls my gown up again and starts to head out. "I'll send the nurse in with your breakfast in a few minutes."

"Doctor, would it be possible to see Guillermo today?" I ask her before she leaves.

"I don't see why not," she answers. "It'll be good for you to get out of bed for while any ways. Just make it a short visit, ok?"

I nod my agreement and she leaves. A while later, the nurse brings in breakfast and I manage to eat it. When the bag of fluids is empty, the IV is removed from my hand.

"There's a collapsible bench built into the wall of the shower," the nurse tells me. "Use it if you feel feint or dizzy. There's also a call button in there if you need help."

"That's ok," says Abe. "I'll be there if there's a problem."

"You most certainly will not," she retorts. Abe opens his mouth to object. "Doctor's orders. Besides, she doesn't need **that** kind of stimulation right now."

"I think I can manage, love," I tell him. I thank the nurse, find the bag that Grandmother brought yesterday, and head for the bathroom. I do end up using the bench but I also stay in there long enough that my skin actually starts to prune. I finally come out of the shower, dry off and get dressed. Helen is a wise woman. She packed jeans and a t-shirt, not the latest couture like my grandmother would have. When I emerge from the bathroom, Liz and Abe are talking. I see Liz stuff a piece of paper into her pocket.

"Good morning, Liz," I say.

"Hi," Liz responds. She has a smile on her face that she can't seem to get rid of.

"You want to tell me the joke?" I ask. I can feel an involuntary smile creeping onto my face in response to Liz's smile.

"Sorry," she says. "It's an inside joke. I'll see you two later."

I watch as she quickly leaves. I look at Abe.

"Is there something you want to tell me?" I ask him as he comes over to me. I have to crane my neck to look into his face.

"You left your hair down," he says as he starts to play with my wet hair.

"I have to or it takes hours for it to dry," I tell him. "Are you going to answer my question?"

"Not yet," he answers. To forestall the next question on my lips, he bends over and kisses me. I promptly forget the question.

"Ready to go see Guillermo?" he asks when he finally lets me up for air. I don't think I can say anything coherent, so I just nod.

He slowly leads me down the hall to Guillermo's room. It's not that far from my room, but by the time I get there, my legs are shaking and Abe has to help me the last few feet.

When we walk in, Guillermo is sitting up in his bed and he has his arms wide open toward me. Abe helps me to the side of the bed where I fall into Guillermo's arms. By the time we part, we've both cried ourselves out. I continue to sit on the edge of the bed.

"How are you feeling?" I ask him.

"I'm fine, thanks," he lies. "And you?"

"Peachy," I lie right back at him.

"Great," he says. "So, how did your grandmother's second meeting with Abe go?"

"Better than I expected," I tell him. "She's called off the wedding."

The look on his face makes me wish that I owned a camera. After about a minute, he finds his voice again.

"Are you sure that was your grandmother and not a pod person?" he jokes.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure," I laugh. "She's supposed to come back sometime today. We'll see if she can get used to the idea of Abe. And if things go well, I might even try introducing her to Hellboy."

"I wouldn't recommend that," says Abe.

"Why?" I ask him.

"You're grandmother wasn't exactly being helpful when you went into cardiac arrest," he answers barely choking out the last two words. "Hellboy had to remove her."

"How did he remove her?" I ask with a sinking feeling that I really don't want the answer.

"He picked her up and carried her out," he replies.

Guillermo starts laughing so hard that tears start streaming down his face. Abe also has a look of amusement.

"Well, I'm glad that you two are entertained, but he could have hurt her you know," I point out.

"Hellboy can be gentle when he wants to be," responds Abe. "Besides, he used his left arm to carry her out, not his right."

"Speaking of a gentler Hellboy, I met Liz earlier," says Guillermo. "She's a lovely young lady. She was looking for you, Abe. Did she find you?"

"Yes, she did," Abe answers.

"Oh, dear," I say. "I totally forgot. I told Manning that I would find her a teacher and I forgot to get a list of Teachers in this area from you when we were still in the Library. Speaking of the Library, who's minding the store while you're up here lying in bed?"

"My assistant, Vicco," Guillermo answers. "As for a Teacher, what about me?"

"But what about the Library?" I ask him.

"Vicco has been ready to take over for years," he replies. "Besides, how am I supposed to make it back to the Library with this leg? You saw how much trouble I had getting out of there, and that was with two good legs. I'd be more than glad to Teach Liz. I need a change of scenery anyways."

"Well, as long as Manning and Liz are agreeable to it, I don't see any problem with you being her Teacher," I tell him. "At least now I don't have to worry about Liz burning down the trees around my house."

"Good," he says with a smile.

"I think it's time you went back to your room," Abe says quietly. "You're worn out."

I realize he's right. So I nod, say my goodbyes to Guillermo, and head back to my room. After a rather bland lunch of mashed potatoes and peas, I take a nap with Abe once again holding one hand and stroking my hair. I could really get used to that.

When I wake up, Abe is gone, but my grandmother is sitting next to my bed reading a magazine.

"Hi," I say.

"Hello, Margaret," she replies.

"Where's Abe?" I ask.

"He said something about meeting a friend," she answers.

"Did you two have a chance to talk?" I ask. I'm not sure I want to hear the answer, but some things are better if you just get them over with quickly.

"We did," she starts. Sighing, she continues. "You were right. He may not look normal, but he is a man. I just had a very hard time dealing with the fish aspects of him. I guess I should have expected you to pick someone out of the ordinary for your life mate. You're father didn't exactly stick to tradition either. But truth be told, your mother was a very nice lady. I'm afraid I wasn't very pleasant to her when she was alive. A fact that I'm sorry for now."

"I'm glad you now understand that I haven't lost my mind," I smile at her. I'm happy that things are starting to settle down. The rest of the visit is actually very pleasant and passes fairly quickly. After Grandmother leaves, Dr. Evans comes in.

"How are you feeling?" she asks.

"A bit sore and tired, but other than that, not bad," I answer.

"Good," she says. "I think that tomorrow you can go home. I want you to take it easy for about a week, so no heavy lifting or strenuous activities for that time. Make sure you get plenty of rest. I'm going to send you home with some pain pills to help you sleep, but take them only if you need them. You're going to need to work up to the level of activity you're used to. Do you think you can do that?"

"Yes," I reply. Hellboy walks in.

"Good," she responds. "Now, I believe Abe is waiting for you in the library. Hellboy will help you get there."

He walks up to me and extends his left arm. I look up at him, but he's being totally stoic, so I have no idea what's up. I take the offered arm and he leads me through the corridors until we reach the library door. He opens the door and ushers me in. I step in and then stop dead in my tracks as Hellboy shuts the door behind me.

The lights are off. There is light coming from Abe's tank, the fire burning in the brazier, and the pair of candles sitting on a table that has been elegantly set for two. There are also several strands of small white lights strung around the room and down the banister of the staircase. The table is set next to the glass of the tank. There's even a bottle of wine sitting in an ice bucket on a stand next to the table. Classical music is playing softly in the background. It's Pachelbel's cannon in D.

"Do you like it?" Abe asks quietly from behind me.

"It's wonderful," I answer in awe. "But why?"

"Dr. Evans told me you were going home tomorrow. I wanted to do something special before you left," he explains.

"It's beautiful, Abe. Thank you."

"Come on," he says taking my arm and leading me to the table. "Dinner will be here soon."

He pulls out a chair and I sit. He takes the seat across from me with such elegance it takes my breath away. Before I can think of anything to say, John comes in carrying a couple of plates with a white towel over his arm. He places them in front of us, pours two glasses of wine and then quickly leaves. I notice that both the wine and the salad are my favorites. The sneak has been reading my mind.

"Is this doctor approved?" I ask as I pick up my salad fork.

"Yes, it is," he answers as he picks up his fork. "You're just not allowed to gorge yourself and you can only have one glass of wine."

I eat a few bites of the salad savoring the flavor. I take a sip of wine and look across the table. Abe seems to be a little hesitant about eating his salad.

"What's the matter?" I ask.

"I've never had salad before," he tells me.

"How…?"

"Hellboy pretty much refuses to anything green, so they don't tend to serve it."

"Well, try it. You just might like it."

He takes a bite and seems mildly surprised.

"You're right," he says. "It is good."

I smile at him and go back to my salad. It's been so long since I've had real food, that I finish the salad before I realize that I'm totally ignoring Abe.

"I'm sorry," I tell him.

"It's all right," he says smiling. "I understand what it's like to finally eat after not doing so for a long time."

I think back. Has it really only been a little over three weeks since we met? It boggles the mind.

"So, how did your visit with Grandmother go?" I ask.

Before he can answer, John comes in and whisks away the plates, disappearing through the doors a moment later.

"It went fine," he answers. "I answered her questions. She's a bit more excepting of me. Especially since I pointed out that she's not exactly normal either."

"I guess she sometimes forgets that," I tell him.

John returns carrying a couple of larger plates. He places them in front of us and then disappears back through the doors. Shrimp scampi over angel hair pasta, steamed mixed veggies and garlic bread are what adorn the plate this time. Again, he's hit the bull's eye. My absolute favorite foods are being served before me.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say that you're buttering me up for something," I say.

He just smiles and starts eating his dinner. He's up to something, I just haven't figured out what. While I try to figure out what he's scheming in that blue head of his, I eat my dinner. After I'm done eating and my glass is empty, I sit back and stare at him. He looks back at me and cocks his head to the side.

"What?" he asks.

"You're up to something," I answer. "I'm just trying to figure out what."

John comes scurrying in, quickly clears the plates and glasses and then he is gone once more. I know I'm not going to get a straight answer out of Abe, so I look around the room.

"Did you do the decorating, or did you get help?" I ask. "And where did you get the lights?"

"Hellboy helped me put the lights up," he replies. "John was able to find the lights. I'm pretty impressed that he was able to do it since it is July."

My blood suddenly runs cold. I can feel the food in my stomach constrict around the food I just ate.

"What's today's date?" I ask quietly. I can't quite look at him.

He looks at me for a moment. He stands, comes over to my side of the table and kneels next to me.

"I swear I wasn't trying to make you forget," he says. I'm staring at the table. I can feel tears starting to form in my eyes.

"Please tell me the date," I whisper.

With head bowed, he says, "The eighth."

I am suddenly having trouble breathing and I can feel the tears flowing down my face. Abe picks me up and sits me on his lap on the floor. When I'm finally cried out, I notice that he's taken his respirator and top off so that I'm leaning against his cool skin.

"It would have been their thirty-second wedding anniversary today," I say. "They've been gone for twenty-two years today."

"I wish I could have met your parents," he says quietly. "I would like to thank them for having such a beautiful daughter."

"Why did you do this, Abe?" I ask angrily sitting up and staring him in the eye. "You say you weren't trying to make me forget the day my parents were wed and died. Then why did you do this?"

"Because I wanted to do this," he says as he takes a small velvet covered box out of one of the pouches in his belt. He opens it to reveal a beautiful diamond ring and says, "Will you marry me?"


	18. The Answer

I sit there staring at the ring, barely able to breathe again, and my heart seems to racing in the Indy 500.

"Well?" he quietly prompts in my ear. I look at him. I'm sure my eyes are as big as saucers at this point.

"Yes," I barely manage to get out before his lips are on mine. I feel his hand pushing the ring onto the ring finger on my left hand. Then he's lifting me into his arms, standing and carrying me somewhere. I don't care where, as long as he keeps kissing me.

A little while later, I feel him set me down on something soft. I look around and discover that we're in a hidden corner of the library and I'm sitting on a couch. Abe is kneeling before me. His hands are in my hair again.

I look in his eyes and catch flashes of images. They're of us and we're in rather compromising positions. Each one is of me doing something to him.

"What was that?" I ask.

"The dreams I've been having," he whispers.

"I'm quite the little hussy, aren't I?" I joke. "In my dreams, it's you who's being the naughty one."

The memories of those dreams flash through my mind and I see his eyes get a bit wider. He smiles.

"Let's stop dreaming," he says just before his lips find mine again.

I let him push me into the back of the couch. I try and remember some of his dream images, one thing keeps coming to me. I reach up and gently touch the gills on the side of his neck. He suddenly gasps. Who knew that gills could be an erogenous zone? He kisses me harder, pushing himself into me and his hands starting pulling my shirt out of my pants. He starts moving his hips around like something is bothering him.

"What's wrong?" I ask as his lips start working their way to my ear.

"Foam neoprene doesn't stretch," he whispers into my ear just before he starts nibbling on it. I reach down and unzip his shorts for him. I start pushing on them, but it seems that foam neoprene doesn't slide off easily either.

He gets my shirt off and his lips start working their way down my neck. His movement pulls his hips out of my reach. My hands are shaking so much that I'm afraid I'll hurt his gills, so I grab the back of his head and try to direct him toward areas that will make me happy. Before I know it, his lips are on the front clasp of my bra. He manages to undo the clasp with his teeth and tongue. I gasp as he works his way over my breast, pushing the bra out of his way as he goes. I can barely breathe as I close my eyes and let him do what he wants to me.

BREEP BREEP BREEP BREEP BREEP BREEP BREEP BREEP BREEP BREEP BREEP BREEP BREEP BREEP BREEP BREEP BREEP BREEP BREEP BREEP

I just about jump out of my skin as the claxon goes off and a red light starts flashing. Suddenly the light shatters and speaker that the sound was coming through falls to the floor.

"That wasn't very nice," he says from the vicinity of my chest.

"Neither is interrupting us," I hiss. "Please don't stop."

He starts kissing me again, and I arch my back with the pleasure of his touch, gasping for breath.

"Abe?" It's John. I can hear his voice very faintly. I contemplate shutting the door on him.

"Don't," says Abe as he brings his face back up to mine. "Even if you do manage to get rid of John, Hellboy will come looking for me next. I have to go now."

"Please stay," I beg.

"I can't," he says. He kisses me, stands up and goes.

I curl up and lie on the couch in frustration, staring at my ring. I notice that the diamond is surrounded by small emeralds and sapphires. Blue and green gems, just like his skin.

Sometime later, I stand, get dressed and head back to the medical wing. I crawl into bed just as the nurse walks in with my medication. I take the pills and sleep fitfully. By morning, I'm almost as tired as I was when I went to bed. I find out that Abe and the others left during the night for some place in Asia. And talk has spread through the bureau like wild fire. Hellboy proposed to Liz last night. She said yes.

An agent that I've never met before drives me home. I spend the next week having dreams that I can't remember, but that I have vague recollections of. I always wake up almost as exhausted as I was when I went to bed. Then I realize that I'm having the erotic dreams again, but I'm not remembering because of the pain pills. I remember what Guillermo said again. We have to wait a year and a day before we can do it. This is going to be the longest year of my life.

The End


End file.
